¥ram  Ihr  ttbranj  of 

JlrnfrBBur  Srntamin  iBrprkinnftgr  IHarftrlb 

Srqupathfh  Inj  htm  to 

thr  ttbrary  uf 

^1?**?n*r**  nihi>.iinniral  g^rmtnarn 

BR  325  .H39  1898 

^f^:/^^^les  Ebert,  1851- 
1934. 

Luther,  the  reformer 


LUTHER,  THE  REFORMER, 


BY 

CHARLES  eThAY,  D.D, 


PHILADELPHIA : 
LUTHERAN   PUBLICATION   SOCIETY. 


Copyright,  1898, 

BY 

TIIK  MTIIEUAN  PUBLICATION  SOCIETY. 


Xutbcr,  tbc  "Kctormcr. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PERIOD  I. 

Prepa RATION   von  Action. 

A.  I).  14s:}-1.j17. 

PAGE 

Chapter  I.     Boyliood •') 

"       II.      Early  Student  I  ):i.vs 11 

•'     111.     Advanced  Studies 11 

"     IV.     Monastery  Life 1'.) 

V.     I'rofessorship  at  Wittenberg 21 


PERIOD  II. 

Assertion  of  Puinciples. 

A.  I).  1517-1521. 

Chapter  I.     The  ("all  to  Action 32 

II.     The  Hold  (  hallenge 'M> 

III.  Aiic^ry  Responses 10 

IV.  Taticnt  Lalmr    ...        43 

V.     A  r.rowheating  Cardinal 46 

VI.     Milder  Measures 52 

VII.     Public  Debate 56 

VIII.     Open  Enmity 64 

IX.     Ericnds  New  and  Old 67 

X.     .\  Tirelt>S!4  Pen 72 

XI.     The  Papal  Hull 77 

XII.     The  Hero  at  Worms 79 

(iii) 


IV  CONTENTS. 

PERIOD  III. 

Practical  Keformation. 
A.  I).  l.VJl-154r,. 

PAGE 

(  Iwiplrr     I.      TIk"  Wartlturj;  Kxilc 85 

"  II.     A  TfmiK>st  Siilktl 90 

*•         III.  Iii-m-\vi(i  .Vrtivity  at  WiltLMjlKTK     ....    95 

"  IV.      KxtiiKliiiK' Infhunce 99 

V.     TIr-  (Hil  Kiu-my 104 

\I.      Faltcrinj,'  AUii-s 109 

"        VII.      Ka^iiiK  Peasants 11  j 

•'     VIII.      n«.ly  Ii<.iuls 121 

"         IX.     Hi'Mtr^'-aiiiz-iiion  of  the  Churt-h 125 

X.      Political  Kvcnl.<* 131 

•'         XI.      i'ersonal  AiUitiions Pio 

•'       XII.     Thi' SacniiiKtiUii  (oiitroversy 137 

"     XIII.     Lutlur  ami  ZwiiiKli 142 

"     XIV.     The  I^ravc-  I'rotcst 14G 

"       XV.     The  Marburg  ('<»llo{juy 151 

"     XVI.     Prei»aring  to  Meet  the  Emperor 157 

"    XVII.     A  Second  Imprisonment 101 

••  XVIII.     The(Jreat  (Vmft^Mon PIS 

••     XIX.      \Var-<loij(ls  Staye<l 172 

*'       XX.      Harmony  among  Brethren 17G 

"     XXI.      Parhyiiig  with  the  Papists ISO 

'•    XXII.     Standard  of  .Monility ISG 

••  XXIII.     Home  Life I'.'I 

•*XXIV.     Sicknejss  and  Death I'JG 


LUTIIKK,  THE  KKFUKMER 


PERIOD  I. 


PREPARATION  FOR  ACTION.  A.  D.  1483-1517. 


CHAPTER  I. 


BOYHOOD. 


KvKN  ^vlK'n  at  the  sumnnt  of  his  renown, 
Lilt  1m  r  never  hesitated  to  aeknowh'd.L^e  his  hum- 
ble origin.  His  aneestors  for  several  generations 
"vvere  sini])le  peasants — not  paupers,  however,  hut 
owners  of  the  soil  whose  cultivation  furnished 
them  a  modest  livelihood.  His  father,  Hans 
Luder  (Lothar:  leader),  engaged  also  in  mining 
in  the  vicinity  of  his  xineestral  home,  Mohra,  on 
the  horder  of  the  Thuringian  forest,  hut  soon 
after  his  marriage  removed  witli  his  young  wife, 
Margaret  (Ziegler),  to  Eisleben,  in  search  of 
steadier  employment.  Here,  on  Nov.  lOtli,  14<S3, 
they  greeted  with  delight  their  tirst-horn  child, 
who  was  baptized  on  tlie  same  day  in  St.  Peter's 
church,  receiving  the  name  Martin,  it  being  the 
anniversary  of  that  saint  in  the  Church's  calendar. 

Six  months  later,  the  family  settled  ])erma- 
nently  in  the  town  of  Mansfeld,  a  few  miles  dis- 
tant, where  the  father  was  shortly  afterwards  en- 
abled to  rent  two  smelting  furnaces,  and  gradually 
improved  his  temporal  circumstances.     We  find 


6 

liiin  a  few  yt^an?  later  f>eeupyinp  a  repponsilJc  po- 
sition in  the  villajri"  and  its  eonjrrejration.  He  was 
a  stunly  son  of  the  Cliurch,  faithful  in  ohservinj; 
all  its  appointed  ordinances,  hut  withal  linn  in 
maintaining;  his  jKTsonal  eon\ietions.  His  wife 
was  niodt-st  in  demeanor,  cariust  in  her  j>iety  and 
mueh  given  to  prayer,  lioth  were  sineenly  de- 
votcnl  to  the  welfare  of  their  children,  altli<>ugh 
excessively  stern  in  the  exercise  of  discipline. 
They  resolved  to  give  their  son  the  advantage  of 
a  liheml  education,  and  prepare  him  for  the  prac- 
tice of  law. 

Young  Martin  accordingly  entered  tlic  village 
school  at  a  very  early  age.  His  treatment  licro 
exciidcil  in  severity  that  which  he  had  received  at 
home.  He  was  iuatcn  fifteen  times  in  one  morn- 
ing, as  he  himself  relate  s,  for  failing  to  recite  what 
liad  not  heen  taught  him.  He  was  speaking  from 
experience  when  he  afterwards  descrihed  tho 
schoolmasters  of  that  time  as  tyrants  and  execu- 
tioners, from  whom  nothing  was  learned  in  spite 
of  stripes,  tren)l)ling,  terror  and  tears. 

It  was  thus  in  a  sechided,  narrow  valley  of  the 
Harz  Mountains,  in  the  very  centre  of  Ger- 
many, that  the  early  years  of  the  great  Re- 
former were  spent.  He  was  here  in  daily  contact 
with  nature  and  with  the  sim]>le-minded  (lennan 
I)easantry,  phiin  in  their  manners,  hlunt  in 
speech,  hut  distinguished  hy  native  honesty  and 
devoutness  of  spirit.  He  was  one  of  them,  and 
even  in  his  maturer  years  always  felt  perfectly  at 
liome  in  his  heloved  Mansfeld.  He  is  descrihed 
l»y  one  of  his  most  intimate  associates  as  a 
merry,  romping  boy,  fond  of  companionshij). 
His  natural  (iisjtosjtion  may  he  clearly  enough  in- 
ferred from  the  originality  and  vivacity  of  his 
'"'■'d   '"  1  '''  r  v.-ars,  from  his  ke(»n  delight  in  the 


BOYHOOD.  7 

works  of  naturi',  and  from  the  unfailin*,'  Ijiunor 
wliith  marks  liis  iitttranccs  even  amid  the  severest 
trials  and  most  exhausting  lahors. 

The  poverty  of  liis  parents  and  the  rigor  of 
the  discipline  to  whi(.h  he  was  subjected  seriously 
afrectt'd  liis  native  buoyancy  of  spirit.  He  grew 
ex<H'e<hngly  timid,  and  his  conscience  became  so 
Sensitive  that  he  constantly  uitbraided  liimself  for 
the  slightest,  and  often  for  mere  imaginary 
otfences. 

For  the  distress  of  mind  which  was  thus  occa- 
sioned, tlie  religious  teaching  of  the  day  afforded 
no  real  relief.  Children  were,  indeed,  taught  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  the  Apostles'  Creed  and  the  Ten 
Connnandment.s.  On  festival  days  the  congrega- 
tions joined  in  the  singing  of  certain  appropriate 
hynms,  and  there  was  some  preaching  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  ])eople.  Luther  always  gratefully 
acknowledged  the  benefits  whicli  he  had  thus  re- 
ceived. But  the  scriptural  truth  presented  in 
these  ways  was  almost  lost  sight  of  in  the  great 
mass  of  outward  ceremonies  and  idle  fancies. 

There  was  a  growing  tendency  to  saint-wor- 
ship, whicli  threatened  to  leave  no  place  for  sim- 
]>le  faith  in  Christ  as  the  divine  Redt  emer  in  whom 
is  revealed  the  fulness  of  the  Father's  love  and 
mercy.  Cireater  contidence  was  felt  in  the  sup- 
pose(^l  more  tender  love  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  who 
was  addressed  as  the  "Mother  of  God,"  and  im- 
plored to  intercede  for  her  petitioners  with  her 
kSon,  who  was  regarded  as  a  stern  judge  and  ruler. 
At  the  very  time  of  Lutli(T's  boyhood,  it  })ecame 
a  po])ular  custom,  ])articularly  among  the  hardy 
mountaineers  of  that  part  of  (lermany,  to  address 
prayers  especially  to  Anna,  the  mother  of  the  Vir- 
gin Mary;  and  the  countless  hosts  (»f  minor  saints 
were  parceled   out  as   the    patrons   of   particular 


8  LVTIIEK,  THE   REFORMER. 

Icx'alitii'S,  cluirches,  persons  or  occupations.  The 
minils  of  the  younjj  were  IiIUmI  with  legends  of  the 
Faints,  some  of  wliich  were  really  jmthetic  or  jxx^tic 
in  character,  hut  the  j^reat  mass  of  which  were 
mere  empty,  silly  tales. 

There  privaihd  amon^  the  common  people  of 
that  ilay  an  implicit  belief  in  witchcraft.  Kvil 
spirits  were  suppostvl  to  he  eonslaiiily  attive  in 
inllicting  injuries  upon  cattle,  crops  and  human 
being's,  sending  sickness,  storms,  hail,  etc. 
Luther's  own  mother  liveil  in  constant  dread  of  a 
neighbor  whom  she  accused  of  bewitching  her 
children,  making  them  cry  themselves  almost  to 
death.  Thus  the  imagination  of  the  lad  wa.s 
storetl  with  frightful  forms,  and  a  dark  cloud  of 
ever-threatening  calamity  overshadowed  his  early 
life. 

pompous  processions  were  used  to  imi)ress  the 
minds  of  the  multitude  with  the  majesty  of  the 
Church,  and  vast  multitudes  were  induceil  to  join 
in  pilgrimages  to  suj>])oseil  sacred  places,  bearing 
oiTerings  for  various  images  or  relics  (^f  ancient 
saints  which  were  said  to  be  endowed  with  mirac- 
ulous healing  i)ower. 

Even  when  the  Lord's  Prayer,  Creed,  etc.,  were 
taught  by  the  monks  or  priests,  there  was  no  at- 
tempt to  lay  stress  upon  the  sjiiritual  truth  which 
they  contain,  but  the  whole  aim  was  to  bring  the 
rising  generation  into  absolute  submission  to  the 
ordinances  of  the  Church.  It  was  particularly 
insisted,  that  all  who  desire  to  be  saved  must  appear 
at  least  once  a  year  before  the  j)riest,  confess  to 
him  all  their  sins,  receive  from  him  al>solution,  or 
the  assurance  of  pardon,  and  have  such  j)enances 
imposed  upon  them  as  the  regulations  of  the 
Church  might  re«|uire.  These  penances  were  ex- 
eni-<-^<'f  \:iri(,iw  Ivlti.l^   vii.l,  :m  particular  praycFS 


BOYHOOD.  9 

ropoatctl  a  certain  iniinbrr  of  times,  pilp^rimapcs, 
fasts,  etc.,  and  it  was  tauf^ht  tliat  only  by  a  con- 
scientious fulfilment  of  these  could  the  demands 
of  a  righteous  (Jod  he  satisfied  and  His  favor  en- 
joyed. \\'hoever  failed  in  strictest  obedience  to 
these  re<iuirements  would  at  death  be  cast  into  the 
fires  of  purgatory,  tliere  to  remain  until  the  meas- 
ure of  his  auMiiy  should  sulliciently  atone  for  his 
6hortcomin«:s. 

It  was  taught  tliat  a  higher  degree  of  morality 
and  sanctity  than  ])()ssible  under  the  ordinary 
conditions  of  life  might  be  attained  by  the  renun- 
ciation of  marriage,  and  the  surrender  of  all 
earthly  ])roperty  and  personal  independence. 
Some  eagerly  embraced  the  opi)ortunity  thus  af- 
forded to  gain  rrpute  fur  ]'iety,  assuming  the  three- 
fold vow  of  poverty,  chastity  (so-called)  and 
obedience  (to  superi(»rs  in  the  Church).  Others 
enteral  ui)on  the  monastic  life  to  escape  the  nec- 
essity of  earning  for  themselves  an  honest  liveli- 
hood. But  there  were  always  many  who  sincerely 
sought,  by  enduring  the  i)rivations  and  discharg- 
ing the  exacting  duties  imposed  upon  them  by 
this  cruel  system,  to  gain  the  favor  of  God  and 
secure  true  peace  of  conscience. 

It  was  in  a  religious  atmos])here  thoroughly  per- 
meated with  these  false  ideas  that  the  childhood 
of  Luther  was  j»assed.  His  sus(e}>tilile  nature  was 
readily  moulded  by  them;  but  he  could  discover 
in  them  nowhere  an  answer  to  the  deepest  yearn- 
ings of  his  heart.  The  home  of  his  youth  could 
afford  neither  counsel  nor  sympathy  where  both 
were  so  sorely  needed. 

To  the  Church  and  its  ordinances  alone  could  he 
l<K)k  for  help.  His  whole  training  had  tended  to 
cultivate  a  deep  resjteet  for  its  authority.  There 
was,  indeed,  a  growing  tendency  among  the  com- 


10  LUTIIEK,  TIIK    HEFOHMER. 

mon  people  to  make  merry  over  tlie  inconsistent 
lives  (»f  tlie  monks  and  prii'sts,  while  eiirnest 
nunds  were  cKeply  jzrieved  l»y  tlu'  notorious  abuses 
which  were  tolerate<l,  and  even  encoura«:ed,  l)y 
the  Church.  But  in  the  secluded  re^'ion  in  which 
Luther  live<l,  these  ahuscs  had  not  become  so 
glaring  as  in  many  i)laces,  and  his  jiarciits  and 
their a.«sociat»s  at  Mansfcld  nmaintd  Iminblc  and 
zcalnus  subjects  of  the  tHclesiaftical  government 
under  whieli  they  had  always  live<l.  Whatever 
suspicions  may  liave  been  excited  in  their  own 
minds  must  have  been  carefully  concealed  from 
their  children,  whom  they  sought  to  rear  in  un- 
questioning faith  in  that  Church  with  whicli,  in 
their  view,  w:ls  inse]»arably  associated  the  whole 
divine  j)lan  of  salvation.  Yet  how  little  encour- 
agement was  to  be  hoped  for  fnan  this  ijuarter, 
may  be  inferred  from  what  has  l)een  already  said. 
Against  all  the  sombre  iniluences  of  his  early 
years  the  strong,  hopeful  nature  of  this  boy 
bravely  struggled.  NW-  have  no  evidence  that  In* 
became  morose,  or  gave  any  hint  of  the  inward 
struggles  which  he  silently  endured.  He  dutifully 
accepted  the  calling  which  his  father  had  marke«l 
(»ut  for  him  and  sought  to  make  the  best  use  of  the 
meagre  educational  advantiigcs  at  lirst  alTorded 
him. 


r-TIAlTKrv  TT. 

EAKLY    STLDKNT    DAYS. 

When  fourteen  years  of  a<re,  T  utlier  liad  ac- 
quired all  the  knowledge  to  ])e  obtained  in  the 
sc-hool  at  Mansftld.  lie  was  then,  in  l')U7,  sent 
to  a  school  in  Magdeburg,  in  liiLdi  niiutc  for  its 
cultivati(»n  of  the  Latin  lan<;ua^'e  and  literature, 
and  for  the  prohity  of  its  instructors,  who  l)clon«red 
to  a  society  of  pious  priests  known  as  the  "Null 
Brethren."  Of  his  studies  here,  we  have  no 
record. 

Sufferinj]^  on  one  occasion  from  a  burning  fever, 
the  use  of  water  was  strietly  ])rohil)it(d.  \\'at<h- 
in<r  his  oj^portunity,  he  sli])])('d  down  stairs  and 
drank  a  wlmle  ])iteherful.  The  fever  was  ])roken 
and  he  (piickly  recovered.  This  is  the  llrst  re- 
corded illustration  of  the  Reformer's  inde]tendencc 
of  character,  and  furnishes  a  striking^  ])icture  of 
the  eagerness  with  which  liis  thirsting  spirit  after- 
ward (juafTcd  the  living  water  forbidden  by  the 
religions  doctors  of  tlie  day. 

Magdeburg  was  a  ilourishing  city  of  forty  thou- 
sand inhabitants,  and  the  young  student  was  here 
for  the  first  time  brought  into  contact  with  the 
busy  life  of  the  coinnnniMl  w(»rld.  This  must 
have  exerted  a  broadening  influence  upon  him, 
but  the  only  incidents  of  the  ])eriod  which  he  has 
deemed  worthy  of  record  clearly  indicate  what 
was  then  already  the  bent  of  his  mind. 

.\  prince  of  Anhalt  who,  having  surrcndtn^l 
bis  patrimony,  had  for  twenty-five  years  subj<'cted 
himself  to   tiie  most  riu'id  ascetic  discipline  and 

(11) 


IJ  LITIIEU,  THK    HEFORMER. 

was  wastoil  to  a  more  skeleton,  passe<l  through  the 
streets  of  the  eity  liare-footol,  iniserahly  clad  ami 
bowed  to  the  earth  lu'iicath  a  lu-avv  hiirdoii. 
Luther  was  stirn»d  to  unhounded  admiration,  and 
severely  upbraided  himself  for  the  worldHnt'Ss  of 
his  own  life. 

Somewhere,  }>rol>al»ly  upon  a  panel  in  one  of 
the  numerous  churches,  he  saw  a  ]»aintinp:  of  a 
great  ship  repn-senting  tln'  (  atholie  Church  sail- 
ini;  for  the  ci'lestial  port.  On  l>oard  were  the  Pope 
and  cardinals  with  a  j^oodly  numht-r  of  bishops. 
The  crew  consisted  of  priests  and  monks,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  was  the  j)ilot.  Stru^jrling  in  the 
waters  were  a  host  of  ]>oor  laymen,  some  just  sink- 
ing, and  others  desperately  clinging  to  roj)es 
thrown  from  the  ship  and  afTording  the  only  hope 
of  salvation.  As  he  gazed  in  horror,  his  soul 
yearned  to  share  the  security  of  the  holy  mc^n  on 
board,  among  whom,  however,  not  a  single  lay- 
man was  to  be  seen. 

In  the  following  year  he  entered  an  excellent 
school  in  Eisenach,  where  some  relatives  of  his 
mother  resided,  with  whom  he  was  probably  able 
to  live  more  cheaply  than  among  strangers.  They 
were,  however,  themselves  in  moderate  circum- 
stances, and  he  was  comjx'lled  also  to  help  him- 
self, which  he  did  by  singing  in  comjiany  with  a 
circle  of  his  school  friends  uj)on  the  streets  of 
Kisenach  and  in  the  surrounding  country,  receiv- 
ing in  retm-n  small  contributions  of  money  from 
benevolent  burghers.  Upon  one  occasion  of  this 
character,  the  fervor  with  which  he  sang  the  de- 
vout hyinns  selected  attracted  the  attention  of  a 
refined*  and  wealthy  lady,  Madam  Ursula  Cotta, 
who  invited  him  \n  her  table  and  p(  r.-iKidrd  him 
to  make  fre(|Uent  visits  to  her  home.  This  kind- 
ness was  an   inealeuhihle  blessing  to  the   lonely 


EARLY   STUDENT   DAYS.  13 

hoy.  It  sootiicd  his  sj»irlt  and  at  the  same  tiiiu' 
gave  hiin  his  lirst  ac<iuaiiitaiR-e  witli  the  usagi-s  of 
cultivatcMl  society. 

The  institution  at  Kisenacli  was  in  synipatliy 
with  that  entliusiastie  revival  of  interest  in  seien- 
titie  and  ehissieal  studies  whicli  is  known  as 
Humanism.  Anionj^  liis  teachers  liere  wen; 
Pastor  Wiegand,  witli  wliom  lie  maintained 
fiicndly  relations  for  many  years,  and  John  Tre- 
bonius,  a  j)oet  and  most  faithful  instructor,  who 
is  said  to  have  always  removed  his  cap  when  com- 
ini^  hefore  his  jtupils,  imi)ressed  with  the  thought 
tliat  there  might  l)e  among  them  some  future  city 
magistrate  or  learned  doctor.  During  the  four 
years  spent  at  this  place,  his  quick  j)ercej)tion, 
vivid  imagination  and  i)Ower  of  apt  and  ])ictur- 
csipie  exi)ression  hecame  manifest  to  all.  lie  ac- 
(juinMl  a  full  knowledge  of  Latin,  writing  it 
freely  in  both  prose  and  versie. 


rTTAPTKR  TTT. 


ADVANCED   STUDIES. 


Not  far  from  Mansfclil  was  tlio  University  of 
Erfurt,  then  one  of  the  most  illustrious  of  Cer- 
inany.  Among  its  prominent  professors  were 
Ijulieus  Truttvetter  and  Arnoldi  von  Usin«r,.n. 
The  institution  a(l}iere<l  to  tlie  principles  of^tlie 
later  Scholasticism  which  accepted  the  tradi- 
tional (loLMuas  of  the  ("hunh  and  exhausted  its  en- 
ergies in  hair-splitting  and  profitless  discussions 
of  the  external  forms  of  doctrine.  Lutlier  here 
ac(|uired  a  thorough  ac(juaint;ince  with  this  sys- 
tem, which  was  invaluahle  to  him  in  liis  suhse- 
(jueiit  labors,  and  his  natural  powers  of  discern- 
ment were  greatly  (juickened  hy  the  keen  encounter 
with  his  academical  opponents. 

Hut  it  was  anjong  the  zealous  advocates  of  the 
Humanistic  stu<lies,which  were  also  here  encour- 
aged, that  Luther  found  his  nio>t  coiig.-nial 
friends,  including  Crotus  Rubianus.  George 
Spalatin  and  John  Lange.  lie  was  a  welcome 
comrade  in  the  circle  to  which  they  belonged,  be- 
ing regarded  by  them  as  the  philosopher  and 
musician  of  the  company. 

The  wide-s})read  int<'rest  in  classical  litera- 
ture and  the  liberal  sciences  which  had  spread 
through  the  more  intelligent  cla.sses  of  all  the  great 
western  nations  opened  an  inviting  field  t<)  tlie 
ambitious  youth  of  the  univei-sities.  The  ancient 
mythology  of  (ireece  and  Koine  kindled  their  im- 
agination, the  poets  and  orators  of  anti(piitv  be- 
came the  models  of  style,  and  the  moral  and  relig- 
(10 


A1>V.\N(K1>   STUDIES.  IT) 

ious  ]>rin(ii>U'S  of  the  ancient  culturt'd  licathcn 
world  Wire  inK'(^ns(iouslyinil>il)(»I.  Tlie  movement 
tlius  tended  to  divert  the  minds  of  its  adhen-nts 
entirely  away  from  the  C'hristian  relij^ion.  When 
the  scriptural  ideas  of  sin,  atonement,  fellowship 
with  Ciod,  and  a  future  life  were  ijrnored,  hut  little 
respect  could  l)e  longer  entertained  U)T  the  Bihle. 
It  was  ])laeed  ui)on  a  par  with  the  sacred  hooks 
of  other  reliizions.  (lod  Himself  and  the  proi>hets 
and  saints  of  the  Church  were  hy  many  classed 
with  the  L'ods  and  liemes  of  heathen  nations.  Tlie 
verv  foundations  of  morality  were  thus  under- 
minetl.  Tlie  voice  of  consi'ience  was  smothered 
and  all  serious  views  of  life  hanishcd.  The  jtleas- 
ures  of  intellectual  culture  were  extolled  hy  some; 
social  enjoyment  l)ecame  the  sole  aim  of  others; 
while  not  a  few,  freed  from  all  moral  and  reli«:;ious 
restraint,  induljred  in  gross  immorality  under  the 
garh  of  sui>erior  enlightenment. 

Yet  this  new  godless  culture  found  it  (juite  ]tos- 
Fihle  to  thrive  under  the  outward  forms  of  relig- 
ious observances  then  prevalent  in  the  Cliureli. 
Its  adherents  formed  a  sort  of  intellectual  aristoc- 
racy among  the  liigher  civil  and  ecclesiastical 
orders,  whilst  the  ordinances  of  the  Church  were 
considered  a  valuahle  means  of  preserving  good 
order  among  the  niasses,  their  ohservance  by  the 
enliLditencd  classes  being  only  for  the  sake  of  ex- 
ample. Thus  there  had  sprung  U]>,  es])ecially  in 
Italy  and  notably  in  Koine,  before  the  Reforma- 
tion a  new  heathenism  under  the  forms  of  Chris- 
tian life,  which  in  utter  hypocrisy  exceeded  any- 
thing ever  known  in  the  heathen  world,  and  which 
afterward  boasted  a  foremost  representative  in  that 
so-called  Head  of  tlie  Church,  Pope  Leo  X.,  I'y 
whom  Lutlicr  was  condemned  as  a  heretic. 

In  Germany,   however,   these  destructive  ten- 


16  Lin'HEH,   THE    HEFOHMER. 

dencics  had  not  yet  been  developcMi.  Tlic  young 
Humanists  and  "poets"  (as  tlicy  etylctl  tlieiii- 
si'lvt-s)  of  Krfurt  wvrv  moral  and  studious,  and, 
wliilo  j^lorifying  the  ancient  classical  authors, 
maintained  the  most  friendly  relations  with  their 
schohu^tic  j)rofessors,  seeking  oidy  to  give  a  more 
reliuLHl  antl  poetic  expression  to  the  truths  taught 
by  the  Church.  Thus  Luther  felt  the  (luiikcning 
iinjmlse  of  the  movement  in  its  purest  form. 

\\'ith  characteristic  ardor,  the  young  student  now- 
entered  upon  the  general  philosophical  course, 
which  included  granmiar,  rlnimie,  logic,  the 
physical  scienei^  and  moral  ]»hilosophy.  Among 
classical  writers,  he  ])referred  Ovid,  Virgil  and 
Cicero.  In  studying  these  and  other  ancient  au- 
thors, it  was  not  his  aim  to  imitate  their  elegance 
of  diction,  hut  to  glean  from  them  ]>ractical  lessons 
of  every-day  wisdom.  His  own  style,  though 
classic  in  purity,  was  forceful  rather  than  elegant. 
His  friends  regretted  greatly  that  he  did  not  allow 
the  spirit  of  classical  culture  to  more  largely  mod- 
ify the  hluntness  of  his  speech  and  the  ]>assionate 
energy  of  his  nature.  But  it  was  just  tliese  qual- 
ities which  kept  him  in  full  symjuithy  with  the 
common  ]>eoj)le  and  which  enabled  him  to  deal 
such  terrilic  blows  against  error  and  breast  the 
storms  which  terrified  his  more  fastidious  associ- 
ates. Although  the  lirst  book  printed  in  (iermany 
in  (ireek  characters  left  the  j)ress  of  Krfurt  in  the 
very  yi'ar  of  Luther's  admission  to  the  Lnivcrsity, 
the  study  of  that  language  was  ])ui-sui'd  by  very 
few  at  that  time,  and  it  wm*  only  in  later  years 
that  he  beciime  j)r()ficicnt  in  it. 

In  the  general  branches  of  the  course  his  pro- 
gress was  so  rapid  that  in  his  third  se.-^sion  he 
readied  the  lirst  academic  degree,  that  of  Haehelor. 
This  was  followed,   in   1503,   by  that  of  Master, 


ADVANCED    STl'DIES.  J  / 

which  was  ((juivah'nt  to  oiir  "  Doctor  of  IMiil- 
osophy."  Mclanchthon  testifies  that  liis  extraor- 
dinary ahihty  won  the  achniration  nf  the  whole 
I'niversity. 

Tlie  cuhure  of  his  taUnt  for  music  furnislicd 
rcHef  from  severer  hil)ors.  Iksieles  the  further 
training  of  his  voice,  he  h-arned  to  J'lay  upon  the 
hite. 

In  acconhmce  witli  his  fatlier's  desire,  lie  now 
deterniined  to  apply  himself  to  the  study  of  the 
Law,  which  had  in  Ilenninj:  (ioede  a  most  dis- 
tin<:uished  representative  in  tlie  faculty  at  Krfurt; 
hut  he  had  scarcely  entered  upon  the  new  course 
of  study  when  he  was  led  to  a  reniarkahle  step 
which  changed  the  entire  current  of  his  life. 

Throuizhout  his  whole  career  as  a  student,  con- 
science had  given  him  no  rest.  He  hegan  every 
day  with  private  prayer  and  attendance  U])on 
early  mass,  it  heing  even  then  a  favorite  maxim 
with  him:  "To  liave  ]traycd  well  is  to  have 
studied  well.''  Yet  a  fellow-student  testilies  that 
he  often  said  with  dee])  earnestness  as  they 
washed  their  hands:  "The  more  we  wai>h  our- 
selves, the  more  unclean  do  we  become."  II(» 
one  day  discovered  in  the  lihrary  of  the  University 
the  first  entire  coj)y  of  the  Bihle  which  he  had 
ever  seen,  and  pored  over  its  j)ages  with  eager  de- 
light. l>ut  he  still  foun<l  nf)  j)eace  of  mind.  He 
thought  of  (iod  only  as  a  stern  and  righteous 
Judge. 

A  number  of  incidents  increased  his  anxiety. 
During  a  severe  sickness  he  thought  himself  dying 
and  was  greatly  alarmed.  One  Piaster,  as  he  was 
on  his  way  to  visit  his  parents,  he  accidentally 
severed  an  artery  of  his  leg  with  his  student 
sword.  Lying  uj»on  his  hack  and  pressing  th(» 
wound,  he  cried  out  in  agony,  "Mary,  hcli)!" 
2 


18  H'TIIKK,   TlIK    KEFOHMER. 

Soon  iiftiT  roiH'ivin;^  liis  Master's  dojxrcc,  he  was 
profouinily  move<l  by  the  sudden  death  of  an  in- 
tiinato  friond.  Ht'turning  fn)ni  a  visit  to  Mans- 
feld,  on  July  2d,  loOo,  he  was  cau«rht  in  :i  terrific 
thunder-storm,  an<l,  as  a  vivid  Hasli  of  lijrhtning 
dailed  ln'fore  him,  lie  fell  to  the  earth  and  ex- 
claimed: "Help  me,  dear  St.  Anna;  1  will  hccome 
a  monk.''  Fifteen  days  afterward  he  bade  fare- 
well t«>  the  world,  and  entered  the  Augustinian 
nionastrrv  of  \]\v  town. 


CHAPTER  TV. 


MONASTERY  LIKE. 


The  talented  university  student  was  cordially 
welcomed  to  the  cloister.  For  the  first  year,  iis  a 
"novice,"  he  was  compelled  to  perform  the  most 
menial  services,  sueh  as  s('rul>l)in<]^  the  lloors  of 
the  eonvi'iit,  and  traversing  the  streets  of  the  town 
ill  (•oin})any  witli  an  older  hrotlier  of  the  order 
gatheriiiL^  ^nfts  of  hread  and  cheese  for  the  iiunates 
of  the  monastery.  The  envy  of  his  lussoeiiites,  or 
the  su})])osed  necessity  of  sj)ecial  strin<xeney  in  his 
ease  to  overcome  the  temptiition  to  s})iritual  pride, 
led  to  the  imposing  of  sucli  duties  upon  him  even 
after  he  had  heen  consecrated  to  the  priesthood. 
He  performed  all  these  tisks  without  murmuring;, 
and  was  zealous  in  meeting  all  the  rehdous  re- 
(juirements  of  his  jxjsition.  Seven  or  eii-^ht  hours 
daily  were  set  apart  for  tlie  repeating  of  prescribed 
prayers,  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Ave  Maria  he- 
ing  regularly  recited  twenty-live  times  every  day. 

When  the  year  of  prol)ation  was  en<led,  the 
novice  was  solemnly  received  into  the  order  of 
Augustinian  monks,  taking  the  vow  of  un(|uestion- 
ing  ohedience  to  Almighty  God,  the  Virgin  Mary 
and  the  Prior  of  the  convent.  II(^  was  now  given 
a  cell  hy  himself,  containing  a  tdile,  a  hed-stead 
and  a  chair.  He;  could  afterward  declare:  "If 
ever  a  monk  eould  have  entered  heaven  through 
moniLstic  tortures,  I  should  have  done  so,"  and 
fearlessly  appeal  to  his  former  associates  to  attest 
his  scrupulous  fidelity  in  obeying  all  the  minutest 
rules  of  the  order. 

(10) 


20  M'THKK,  Tin-:  kekokmek. 

At  least  onct'  a  week,  every  l)rotluT  was  coni- 
pelle<l  to  make  confession  j)rivatcly  to  a  desijr- 
nateti  priest.  Luther  aekimwledjied  so  many  trans- 
gressions to  his  "confessor,"  that  the  well-meaninj; 
old  man  grew  tired  of  hearing  him.  He  was  guiUy 
of  no  gross  outward  sins,  l»ut  aeeused  himself  of 
(|uiekness  of  temjK-r,  envy,  impatience,  and  a  host 
of  insignilicant  olTenses  against  the  rules  of  the  con- 
vent eoneerning  the  daily  exereises(>f  worship,  etc. 

It  was  the  tloetrine  of  the  Church,  that  the  peni- 
tent nmst  confess  all  his  sins,  with  inward  peni- 
tence, or  contrition.  The  confessor  then  ])ro- 
nounce<l  ahsolution,  or  the  pardon  of  sin,  hut  at 
once  also  imposed  as  temporal  i)i'nalties  yet  to  be 
re<iuire<l  various  mortilications  of  the  llesh.  com- 
monly called  penances.  The  imperfect  j)erforn»- 
ance  of  these  j>cnanc«  s  wouM  incur  the  wrath  of 
(iod,  and,  if  not  leading  to  final  perdition,  would 
at  least  re(|uire  the  soul  to  endure  uns})eakal»le  tor- 
ment in  j)Urgatorial  fires.  Luther  accepted  this 
teaching  with  umpiestioning  faith,  and  sought  in 
the  prescribed  way  to  make  sure  of  his  accei»tance 
with  (lod.  But  he  wju^  too  honest  to  believe  that 
his  jKiiitence  was  as  dee|)  as  it  should  be,  and 
although  it  was  taught  that  tlie  absolution  j)ro- 
nouiiccd  would  atone  for  any  imperfection  in  the 
contrition  of  the  sincere  penitent,  yet  he  was  de- 
prived of  the  comfort  which  he  might  have  found 
in  this  assurance  l»y  the  immediate  imposition  of 
further  penances,  in  the  fulfihnent  of  which  he 
again  realized  his  own  inlirmity.  In  tlii'  desper- 
ate effort  to  find  inward  peaci',  he  lunhrtook  far 
more  than  was  re(iuire<l  of  him.  lie  thus  gainetl 
much  repute  for  sanctity;  l»ut  in  all  these  e(T<»rts 
hv  afterwanls  recogni/cd  the  i>ri«le  of  his  own 
Ijeart,  which  sought  in  this  way  t<»  attain  a  right- 
eouHncKS  of  it-  ..un  ;ni,l  t..  iniiit  tli«'  divine  favor. 


MONASTERY    LIFE.  21 

In  May,  I.'jOT,  LutluT  w;is  formally  iiiductcd 
intn  the  priesthood,  wln-n  the  svnav  of  addcii  iv- 
spoiisibility  ;,'itatly  hiirdt'm'd  him.  \\'ho  was  he, 
that  he  should  dare  to  aj>i»roaeh  (Jod  and  j)resent 
to  llim,  in  the  sacrifiee  of  tlie  mass,  the  body  of 
His  dear  Son?  He  trembled,  and  almost  i)erished 
at  tlie  tlioiifjht.  The  aceidental  omission  of  a 
word  of  the  prescribed  formula  he  regarded  as  a 
^Tievous  sin.  He  selected  twenty-one  out  of  the 
lonjx  eatalo«rue  of  saints,  and  at  each  daily  mass 
implored  the  intercession  of  three  of  these,  thus 
eom]»letin;z  the  list  every  week. 

Meanwhile,  he  studied  diligently  the  scholastic 
theology,  and  soon  knew  the  works  of  liiel  and 
I)'Ailly  almost  by  heart.  He  found  great  delight 
in  the  keen  dialectics  of  Occam.  He  read  faith- 
fully, but  with  some  impatience,  the  voluminous 
works  of  Tlu>mas  Aquinas  and  Duns  Scotus.  lUit 
all  these  celebrated  teachers  of  tlieology  failed  to 
bring  peace  to  his  troubled  heart.  They  all 
taui:lit  him  to  rely  on  liis  own  efforts  to  procure  for 
himself  the  favor  of  (Jod.  Preaching  not  the  love 
of  (Jod,  but  His  majesty  and  absolute  power,  tliey 
led  the  anxious  student  to  imagine  that  the  tor- 
tures of  mind  which  he  had  so  long  endured  were 
indications  that  he  was  hoplessly  given  over  to 
eternal  destruction  by  an  unchanging  decree  of  the 
Almighty. 

His  despondency  was  doubtless  increased  by  the 
im|iaired  condition  of  his  bodily  health.  Long 
fa>ting  and  arduous  labors,  cond)ined  with  an  al- 
most unexampled  devotion  to  study,  reduced  his 
vitality  and  naturally  inclined  him  to  gloomy 
forebodings.  Thus  many  circumstances  cond)ined 
to  m.ike  him  for  all  time  an  exam]»le  of  the  utter 
helplessness  of  the  man  who  thinks  by  his  own 
iiMble.-(  and  most  self-denying  elTorts  to  sceure  the 
.ipproval  of  a  holy  (Jod. 


22  Ll'TIIEK,   TIIK    KEFORMEIl. 

But  the  mercy  of  the  lA)nl  whom  he  thus 
i^^norantly  sou«;lit  to  worship  was  j)re|)arin«;  cle- 
Hveranci*.  Wliile  yet  a  novice,  he  was  permitted 
for  a  sexsoii  to  liave  the  use  of  a  liihle,  ami, 
thouj^li  he  faileil  to  ^rasp  tlie  central  thouj^'ht  of 
the  (iospel  message,  he  stored  up  many  })assages 
in  his  faithful  memory.  A  brother  in  the  mon- 
astery, to  whom  he  confided  somethin*^  of  his 
spiritual  trouhle,  urj^ed  him  to  make  his  own  the 
declaration  of  the  Creed,  ''  1  helieve  in  the  for- 
giveni'ss  of  sins,''  reminding;  him  that  it  is  not 
the  sins  of  Peter  or  of  Paul  of  which  we  are  to 
tiiink  when  makini?  this  ci^nfession,  hut  ()ur  own, 
and  insistiuL^  also  that  "  Ciod  commands  us  to 
hope,"  and  that  despair  is  therefore  disohedience. 

But  it  was  from  the  vicar-general  of  his  (»rder, 
John  von  Staupitz,  a  man  of  earnest  practical 
piety  and  of  sympathetic  nature,  that  he  received 
the  most  suhstantial  ai»l.  The  latter,  on  his  regular 
visits  to  Erfurt,  encouraged  the  confidence  of  the 
young  monk  and  hecame  deeply  interested  in  hini. 
He  advised  him,  instead  of  worrying  ahout  prt'dcs- 
tination,  to  view  the  mercy  of  Clod  in  the  wounds 
of  Clirist;  inst^^ad  of  his  own  scrupulous  ohserv- 
ance  of  outward  ceremonies,  to  seek  that  inward 
renewal  of  heart  which  is,  according  to  the  New 
Testiunent,  the  essence  of  conversion;  and  to  trust, 
not  in  the  preti*ntious  works  of  his  own  prouil  self- 
righteousness,  hut  in  the  grace  of  (Jod  as  reveaU'd 
in  Christ.  This  was  timely  advice,  and  to  his  old 
age  IjUther  acknowledged  it  as  the  chief  means  hy 
which  (tod  led  him  to  a  knowledge  of  the  saving 
truth.  In  the  light  of  his  experience  we  can  un- 
derstand why  he  so  frecpiently  speaks  of  the  value 
of  wise  Christian  counsel  in  hours  of  spiritual 
distress  and  of  the  henelits  of  confession  and  ahso- 
lution. 


MONASTERY    I.IFK.  23 

With  a  new  hope  stirring  within  liini,  Luther 
now  turui'cl  with  fr»>h  intiTrst  to  the  Seriptuns. 
He  discovered  tliat  the  st  riptural  word  for  re}>ent- 
anee  in  the  ori«iinal  CJreek  liad  no  referenci'  to 
outward  ohservanees,  hut  could  mean  only  a 
chan«;e  of  niintl,  or  heart.  Everywhere  he  found 
clearest  revelations  of  the  grace  of  (lod,  and  his 
whole  concej)tion  of  the  i>lan  of  salvation  was 
cliange<l.  Looking  away  from  himself  with  a 
faith  genuine  yet  timid,  he  found  a  measure  of 
inward  comfort  utterly  unknown  hefore.  This 
was  the  crisis  period  of  his  new  spiritual  life. 
He  now  advanced  steadily  in  his  ])ercej)tion  of 
scriptural  truth,  although  he  had  not  the  remotest 
idea  of  the  revolulinnary  character  of  his  new 
princi]>les. 

The  intellectual  attainments  of  the  Erfurt 
monk  had  meanwhile  hecome  widely  known,  and 
he  was  regarded  as  the  most  talented  and  learne(l 
man  in  the  Augustinian  order  of  (lermany.  His 
zeal  for  the  proper  understanding  of  the  Scriptures 
led  to  the  purchase  of  a  Hebrew  lexicon,  then  a 
great  rarity,  and  his  diligent  ai>]>lieation  to  the 
study  of  that  language  without  an  instructor  or 
associate. 


CHAPTER  V. 

rUOFESSOHSlIir    at    WITTENREnn. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  150S,  Luther  was,  \i]>nn 
tlic  reeoininendation  of  Staiipitz,  aj)p()inte(l  a  Pro- 
fessor in  the  newly-('stal»Hslieil  rnivei*sity  of 
M'ilt('n)»('r«:.      II*'  at  first  taii^Mit  only  the  so-ealU'tl 

1»hil(>s(>j)lii(al  hranchcs,  which  he  had  pursued  at 
u-furt.  His  j)rt'f(renee  was,  however,  for  the- 
olojzy,  whieh,  as  he  was  aceustonieil  to  say,  deals 
with  the  kernel  of  truth,  whereas  the  other 
sciences  are  concerned  only  with  the  shell.  In 
connection  with  his  oflicial  duties,  he  at  once 
entered  uj^on  the  course  of  study  necepsary  in 
order  to  secure  the  academic  rank  nMjuircd  for  the 
hi-jlicr  })osition.  The  de<:re('of  Bachelor  of  The- 
ology could  he  ohtained  only  tlirou;_di  three  stai:i's, 
each  occupying  at  least  six  months,  and  each 
closing  with  an  examination  and  a  ]iu)>lic  discus- 
sion. These  recjuirements  weri'  easily  met,  and 
the  haccalaureate  degree  ol)tained  witliin  eighteen 
months.  \\'ithin  this  jjcriod  he  gave  theological 
instruction  for  three  sessions  at  the  University  of 
Krfurt,  when  lie  was  recalled  to  Wittenherg,  where 
he  now  outranked  all  the  other  instructors  in  the 
faculty. 

In  January,  IT)!!,  he.  in  conipany  with  anotlier 
delegate,  was  sent  to  Rome  upon  an  important 
mi.'^sion  connecte(l  with  the  government  of  the 
Augustinian  monasteries  of  (lermany.  He  re- 
joiced in  this  opi)ortunity  of  visiting  the  fountain- 
head  of  Christian  authority  and  life,  and  hojK'd 
for  great  spiritual  henelit  from  contact  with  the 
(21) 


PKOFESSOKSIIIl'    AT    WITTENBEKG.  25 

holy  leaders  of  the  Cliunli.  At  the  lii-st  si^dit  of 
the  capital  he  j)r()strateil  hiiiisrlf  Ujxni  the  j^ruund, 
CTvinir,  ''Hail,  holy  Hoinc!''  The  four  weeks 
spent  ill  theeity  were  (liliL'eiitly  utihzfd.  He  ran 
ahoiit,  he  afterwards  tells  us,  like  "a  stupi<l 
Srtint,"  from  church  to  churc-h,  helievin;^  all  the 
silly  fahles  told  him,  and  striving  to  gain  the 
8j)ecial  hlessings  offered  to  the  worshijters  at  each 
sacri'd  shrine.  He  almost  wished  that  his  mother 
and  father  were  dead,  that  he  might  emhrace  the 
oi)portunity  to  ])ray  them  out  of  ])urgatory.  As 
lie  was  reverently  climhing  U})on  his  knees  up  the 
stair-case  saiil  to  have  heen  brought  from  Pilate's 
judgnunt-hall  at  Jerusalem,  an  exercise  which  ap- 
peared to  him  the  very  acme  of  holy  service,  in- 
stead of  the  sense  of  the  divine  favor  which  he 
had  anticipated,  he  was  overwhelmed  with  a  con- 
viction of  the  utter  inconsistency  of  all  such  works 
of  supi)osed  merit  with  the  great  declaration  of  the 
Apostle:   "The  just  shall  live  hy  faitli." 

His  fond  belief  in  the  sanctity  of  Rome  was 
now  rudely  disj)elled.  Hi'  was  amazed  at  the 
reckless  luxury  of  the  ]»apal  court,  and  greatly 
scandalized  by  the  trilling  way  in  which  the  priests 
conducted  sacred  services,  even  jesting  as  they 
celebrated  the  solemn  mass.  He  discovered  that 
Pope  Julian  was  a  shrewd,  worldly-minded  man, 
and  that  cardinals  were  guilty  of  gross,  open  im- 
morality. He  heard  it  said  upon  the  streets  that 
"if  there  is  a  hell.  Home  is  built  over  it."  His 
j)atriotic  spirit  was  stirred  when  he  heard  theder- 
man  people  sneeringly  spoken  of  as  "stujjid"  Utr 
their  simple  and  r<>verent  obedience.  Yet  all  this 
did  uoi  shake  his  conlidence  in  the  divine  author- 
ity of  the  Church,  but  oidy  led  him  to  grieve  over 
the  unworthiness  of  those  occu]»ying  its  chief 
j)laces  of  honor,  and  to  long  more  earnestly  for 
reform. 


26  LUTHEH,   TIIK    KEFoKMEU. 

Roturninp  to  Wittt-nhor^.  he  was  aj)j>ointcd 
Sub-prior  <>f  tho  nmna^tcry  at  that  ^)lacH',  and  on 
(Jctohcr  ISlh  and  r.Hh,  loTJ,  was  solciiinly  in- 
vested with  the  title.  Doctor  of  Theology.  He 
aeoeptiH.1  this  vtTv  unwillingly,  hut,  as  it  involved 
both  the  authority  and  a  sole  inn  oath  to  defend 
the  truth  of  the  (Ii>sik'1,  it  aftenvard  gave  him 
great  contidince  when  compellrd  to  maintain  his 
eonvictions  against  the  traditional  teachings  of  the 
Church. 

In  the  theological  lectures  whidi  he  now  be- 
gan to  deliver,  an  entirely  new  nulliod  was  intro- 
ducc«d.  The  exjK)sition  of  the  8cri})tures  had  been 
previously  connnitted  to  instructors  of  lower  rank, 
whilst  the  doctore  of  divinity  were  expcx.ted  to 
base  their  instructions  upon  the  developed  system 
of  the  great  s(h(>la>tic  authorities.  Luther,  on  the 
contrary,  conlined  his  lectures  to  the  Herijitures 
themselves,  and  aimed  especially  to  present  in  the 
clearest  possi})le  form  the  great  saving  truths  of 
revelation.  In  the  very  first  course  of  instruction, 
full  notes  of  which  have  haj>]>ily  been  preserved 
to  us,  he  declares  the  Word  of  ( Jod  to  be  for  the 
eeeker  after  truth  what  i»asture  is  to  the  ox,  its 
nest  to  the  bird,  or  a  stream  to  the  fish. 

He  chose  for  his  first  course  of  lectures  as 
"Doctor  <»f  tlic  Sacred  Scriptures,"  in  \i')]'.\  and 
l')!-!,  the  Psalms,  l)eing  attracted  by  their  devo- 
tional sj>iiit.  He  had  a  special  edition  of  the 
Psalter  printed  for  the  use  of  his  students,  in  which 
large  spaces  were  left  between  the  lines  and  upon 
the  margin.  A  copy  of  this  editi(»n  is  still  pre- 
served in  the  library  at  Wolfeiibilttel,  the  pages  of 
which  are  crowded  with  comments  in  the  liand- 
writing  of  the  Kcfornier,  evidently  forming  the 
!>asis  for  tlic  fuller  expositions  given  to  his  classes. 
The  euinments  du  not   manifest  that  anxiety  to 


PROFESSOItSlIll'    AT    WITTENBERG.  27 

discover  the  oriLMnal  meaninjj:  of  tlic  text  wliidi 
afti  rwanls  tliaractcrizAMl  LiUIut's  expository  writ- 
iiiL's,  l)Ut  tlicy  display  tlit'  cli'ej)C'St  sympathy  witli 
the  inward  stru«:«;lt'S  of  the  saered  writers  and  a 
constant  elYort  to  detect,  wherever  possible,  projdi- 
I'cies  and  types  of  that  Saviour  in  wliose  fellowship 
his  own  soul  had  now  found  rest. 

In  l')!'),  he  hejran  to  lecture  upon  the  Epistle  to 
the  Romans,  havinjx  found  the  key  to  a  i)roper 
undrr>tandin«^^  of  this  profound  theological  treatise 
in  the  17th  verse  of  the  lirst  cha}>ter.  He  had  for- 
merly conceived  of  the  righteousness  of  Ciod  as  a 
revelation  only  of  sttTU,  uncompromising  justice, 
lie  now,  in  the  light  of  Paul's  argument,  beheld 
in  it  the  righteousness  imputed  to  every  one  who 
believes  in  Christ,  as  the  sure  i)ledge  of  his  accept- 
ance as  a  child  of  (4od. 

In  1510,  he  undertook  an  exposition  of  the 
Epistle  to  the  Galatians,  developing  especially 
the  scriptural  discrimination  between  tlie  Law  and 
the  (ios])el — between  the  bcaulage  of  the  letter  and 
the  freedom  of  the  s})irit.  As  the  original  epistle 
swept  away  the  pntensions  of  the  Pharisees  of  old, 
so  Luther's  strong  presentation  of  its  principles 
now  placed  in  clear  light  the  perversions  of  the 
entire  i)apal  system  of  human  ordinances,  and 
taught  men  to  render  even  to  the  divine  law  not  a 
servile,  l>ut  a  willing  and  loving  obedience. 

These  three  early  commentaries  all  discuss  the 
great  question  which  in  j)ractical  importance 
overshadows  all  others:  How  shall  man  become 
righteous  before  (iod  and  inherit  eternal  life?  They 
clearly  state  tin;  scri])tural  doctrine  of  justilication 
by  faith.  They  teach  that  Christian  character  de- 
pends, not  U])on  outward  works  of  self-inortilica- 
tion,  but  upon  the  state  of  the  heart;  that  sins 
are  forgiven  freely  by  the  grace  of  CJod;  and  that 


28  LUTIIKU,   TIIK    UKKOK.MKU. 

\hv  faith  wliich  acot'j>ts  j)aril()n  as  a  free  ^'itt  )>e- 
comos  an  active  jjroinotor  of  all  p^xl  >vorks,  just 
as  a  pMul  trof  will  prudiu'e  pxuj  fruit. 

Frnin  the  celehrate«l  teachers  of  theolojjy  of  the 
Mi<Ulle  A«;es,  who  ha<l  hliiully  adojtti'*!  the  ideas 
ami  inetlKxl  of  the  ancient  heathen  i)hilosoj)her, 
Aristotle,  and  who  failed,  in  eonseijuenec,  t*>  un- 
derstand the  nature  of  sin  and  the  real  purpose  of 
the  Gospel,  Lnther  turned  to  Augustine,  whose 
name  was  slill  honored,  hut  wlM)se  works  had 
fallen  into  neglect.  He  was  delijihted  to  lind  in 
this  j^reat  teacher  a  clear  confi'ssion  of  the  de|tlh 
of  human  de)>ravity  and  helplessness,  and  a  nia;,'- 
nifyinjj  of  tiie  free  mercy  of  (iod.  lUit  evi-n 
Au«,'ustine  had  not  so  fully  prasped  as  did  Luther 
the  apostolic  conception  of  faith  alone  as  the 
means  of  appropriatinj;  the  freely-offered  grace. 

But  the  mind  and  lieart  of  the  great  Keformer 
were  suhjected  also  to  a  j)owerful  influence  from 
another  (piarter.  During  the  thirteenth  and  four- 
teenth centuries  there  had  arisen  in  (iermany  a 
numher  of  men  of  deep  contem]»lative  l>iety, 
known  as  the  German  Mystics.  They  sought  to 
attain  fellowsliip  wiili  (iod  l.y  renunciation  of  the 
world  and  of  their  own  desires.  They  too  often 
carried  out  this  i«lea  to  great  extremes,  endeavor- 
ing to  lose  all  sense  of  exist^'nce  in  a  dreamy  re- 
verie, to  dissolve  away  "into  nothingness." 
Alrea«ly  in  the  cloister  Luther  had  felt  the  im- 
pulse of  this  system  from  his  study  of  the  works  of 
Gerson  (f  A.  I).  LLiD),  und  from  his  intercourse 
with  Staupitz.  The  sermons  of  mic  of  the  n(»h!cst 
of  its  representatives.  John  Tauler  (t  A.  D. 
1361 ),  now  fell  into  his  hands  and  he  read  it  with 
avidity.  In  strong  contrast  with  thee(»ld  formulas 
of  the  scholastics  and  the  empty  external  works  of 
the  papal  system,  the  deep  religious  sj.irit  of  these 


PROFESSORSII I r    AT    W  ITTKNHKIU}.  29 

men  oncliantcd  him.  lie  was  so  niuch  plcasril 
witli  a  little  anonyiuttus  tract  in  which  their  views 
were  advocated  that  hi' himself,  in  l')l(),  puidished 
a  portion  of  it,  and,  two  years  later,  tin*  entire 
work,  under  the  title  of  ''German  Theology." 
Whilst  he  avoided  the  cmj)ty  j)hilosophical  con- 
clusions in  wliich  the  system  of  the  Mystics  linally 
evaporated,  his  sympathetic  study  of  its  hetter 
literature  was  of  Lcreat  henetit  in  adding  deptli  and 
fervor  to  his  piety.  Its  iniluence  may  ]»e  traced 
in  all  his  future  writing's  in  his  })rofound  yearning 
for  fi'llowship  with  (lod  and  in  the  recognition  of 
self-will  as  the  very  essence  of  sin.  lie  rose  ahove 
it,  however,  when  he  tauglit  that  Clod  is  love,  and 
that  we  are  not  only  to  prostrate  ourselves  before 
Him,  hut  to  allow  Ilini  to  lift  us  uj)  and  inspire 
us  with  a  new  and  joyous  life.  Whilst  the  piety 
of  tlie  Mysties  led  tliem  to  withdraw  from  the 
w(»rld,  that  of  Luther  sent  him  forth  to  valiant 
service  in  the  cause  of  truth. 

With  his  learned  lahors  was  combined  a  glowing 
zeal  in  the  ]»ractical  application  of  the  Gospel  to 
the  connnon  peoi)le.  At  Krfurt,  he  had  ]»reache(l 
in  the  dining  hall  of  the  convent;  during  his  first 
years  at  Wittenl)erg,in  a  little  building  of  logs  and 
clay,  and  afterwards  in  the  I'niversity  Chureh.  It 
was  his  custom  at  times  to  ]>reach  every  day  for  a 
week  or  more,  sometimes  delivering  two  daily  ser- 
mons in  addition  to  his  regular  hctuns  at  the 
Cniversity.  His  sermons  were  plain  and  prac- 
tical, addressed  not  to  the  learned  ]»rofessors  in  the 
front  pews,  but  to  the  ])easants  and  servants  who 
occupied  the  hundder  seats.  He  spoke  with  great 
fervor  and  with  convincing  power. 

In  a  series  of  diseourses  upon  the  Ten  Com- 
mandments and  the  Lord's  Prayer,  eonehidt d  in 
the  early  part  of  A.  D.  1517,  the  sins  of  every- 


30  UTIIKU,   TlIK    HKKOKMEH. 

day  life  wore  vividly  j>ortray('<l,  ^vitll  tlio  manifest 
purix>se  of  awakniinp  in  tln'  hearers  a  deep  sense 
of  j»ers(»nal  sinfulness  with  distrust  in  any  pnssihle 
effort  of  their  own,  and  thm  l«adin«;  thmi  to  tho 
excicisr  of  simple,  joyous  faith  in  Christ.  The 
glaring  abuses  of  tlie  prevalent  saint-worship  and 
the  niueh-laudrd  jiil^'riniaps-are  freely  denounee<l, 
and  the  sanctity  t)f  the  ordinary  daily  life  ot  the 
hmnhle  believer  is  exalti'd  in  eontrast  with  the 
sup])osed  FujKTior  holiness  of  the  nionastie  and 
clerical  orders.  Thus,  lon<r  before  Luther  dreamed 
that  he  should  he  called  to  occuj)y  a  j)ositi(>n  of 
World-wide  inlluence  as  a  reforuier,  he  was  known 
in  the  (•(•niniunity  in  which  he  lived  as  a  man 
utterly  fearless  in  Ids  denunciation  of  j)opular 
errors.  In  this,  many  brave  men  had,  indee<l, 
preceded  him,  but  he  dilTered  from  them  all  in  his 
fervent  prescntiition  of  direct,  personal  faith  in 
an  atoning  and  triumj)hant  Saviour  as  the  all- 
suHlcient  basis  of  a  p'uuine  relipous  life. 

The  rejxular  monastic  duties  were  still  faitlifully 
discharged,  although  he  no  longer  sought  thus  to 
merit  the  f;ivor  of  (lod.  lie  was  in  lolo  ch^ted 
District  Vicar  for  'i'huringia  and  Misnia  (Meis- 
sen), having  eleven  Augustinian  monasteries  un- 
der his  care.  lie  dis])layed  a  deep  ]>ersonal  inter- 
est in  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  inmates  of  the.'^e 
in.stitutions,  as  well  as  practical  wisdom  in  gov- 
ernment and  disei])lin«\ 

He  was  still  a  faithful  subject  of  the  Ivoman 
Catholic  Church,  bowinLT  before  her  authority  and 
acknowledging  the  vali<lity  of  all  her  ordinances. 
He  wore  his  monk's  cowl,  and  urged  his  associ- 
nt*^  and  subordinates  as  strongly  as  ever  to  faith- 
ful f)!)edience.  He  still  thought  it  proper  to 
implore  the  saints  to  intercede  for  men  witli  CJod, 
and   he  himself  in  his  sermons  o])enly    invoke<l 


PROFESSORSIIir    AT    WITTENDEKG.  31 

the  ;ii<l  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  IIuss  and  tho  I>o- 
liemian  lirt'thren,  wlio  had  renoinuvd  tlie  pupal 
authority,  hv  rc^zarded  as  "  wri'tc-hcd  heretics." 
It"  li«'  invi'ight'd  a«:ainst  the  corruptions  of  the 
monks  and  c'K'r«ry,  and  warned  a<;ainst  the  preacli- 
iug  of  idh'  U'«rends  instead  of  the  sinipK'  truth  of 
tlie  Gospel,  he  thought  himself  in  this  fully  sus- 
tained hy  the  hetter  sentiment  of  the  Church  at 
large.  If  he  (juoted  Augustine  against  Aijuinas 
and  Scotus,  he  did  not  imagine  that  he  was 
tlierehy  assailing  the  accci)ted  dogmas  of  the 
C'iiurch,  or  <|Uestioning  its  authority. 

r.ut  tlic  Reformation  was  now  essentially 
completed  in  the  soul  of  Luther.  He  had  for 
years  l»een  leading  a  life  of  joyous  faith  in  Christ. 
He  had  found  himself  in  full  spiritual  accord 
with  Paul  and  David.  \\'ith  unwearying  delight 
he  had  been  unfolding  to  all  about  him  the  con- 
solations of  the  glorious  CJospel.  Within  the  still 
narn^w  circle  of  his  inlluence,  the  truth  had  been 
gladly  welcomed  by  many.  The  time  had  come 
when,  in  the  providence  of  God,  the  light  thus  en- 
kindled was  to  break  through  the  heavy  shrouds 
of  mediaval  darkness  and  shine  forth  to  the  ends 
of  the  earth. 


PERIOD  11. 


ASSERTION  OF  PRINCIPLES.   A.  D.  1517-1521. 


CHAPTER  I. 

TIIK    CALL    TO    ACTION. 

It  was  tlic  pul)lic  Sale  of  Indulgences,  or  oor- 
tificates  <»f  jjanlon  for  sin,  l)y  oflicial  rcprrscnta- 
tives  of  the  Pope,  tluxt  suniinoned  the  studious 
professor  and  earnest  pastor  to  the  field  of  contro- 
versy. That  an  ahuse  so  flaf^rant  should  find 
intelligent  defenders  even  in  that  ajro,  or  that  op- 
position to  it  should  lead  to  a  transformation  of  the 
whole  civil  and  reliirious  aspect  of  the  modern 
world,  seems  almost  inore<lihle.  Yet  it  was  just 
here  that  the  hattle  for  (iospel  liherty  was  joined. 
The  sliameless  ahuse  of  the  traditional  indulg«'iu<'S 
led  to  an  examination  of  the  theory  upon  which 
they  were  l)ased,  and  this  involved  a  direct  scru- 
tiny and  rejection  of  th(;  claims  upon  which  rested 
the  whole  system  of  mediieval  theology,  and  the 
entire  fahric  of  the  papal  authority. 

The  accepted  theology  of  the  day  taught  that 
repentance  is  a  sacrament,  or  churchly  ordi- 
nance, consisting  of  three  parts:  contriti«>n  of  heart, 
confession  hy  tlie  lips  (to  a  priest),  and  satisfac- 
tion hy  works.  Upon  the  first  part  hut  little  stress 
was  commonly  laid.  It  was  understood  to  he 
merely  a  dread  of  punishment,  and  if  sufficiently 
deep  Uy  lead  to  confession,  the  ofliiiating  priest 
(.•J2) 


Tin:    (ALL    TO    A(TION.  33 

was  aullinriz(Ml  t<>  jintiKtuiu'e  absolution,  l>y  wliidi 
act,  it  was  tauj^^ht,  any  dt'tiiii'ncy  in  tlir  sinrt-rity 
or  depth  of  thv  contrition  was  fully  supplied,  and 
the  profess* '< I  jieniteiit  positively  released  from  the 
penalty  (»f  eternal  death.  In  plaee  of  the  latter, 
iiowever,  were  now  ai)i)ointed  vari<>us  tenijtoral 
penalties,  such  as  fastings,  preseril»e<l  religious 
exiTeises,  the  giving  of  alms,  ete.  The  meeting 
of  these  demands  constituted  the  third  necessary 
part  of  repentance.  If  the  works  of  satisfaction 
thus  re(|uire(l  he  not  fully  rendered  in  the  present 
life,  the  neglect  must  he  atoned  for  hy  an  indefinite 
perio<l  of  suiTering  in  the  lires  of  purgatory. 

There  was  thus,  after  all,  ui»on  this  theon',  no 
such  thing  as  the  free  and  full  forgiveness  of  sin 
hy  the  grace  of  (Jod.  The  confessing  penitent 
was,  indeed,  declarctl  free  from  the  j)enalty  of 
eternal  death;  })ut  for  every  slightest  defect  in  the 
atoning  work  still  re(iinre(l  of  liim  he  must  face 
the  ])rospect  of  purgatorial  fires.  Unless  his  ohedi- 
ence  was  ])erfect,  he  was  therefore  still,  and  must  be 
for  :in  iiidetiiiite  ]MTiod  after  death,  a  subject  of 
punishment,  <'nduring  the  wrath  of  ( iod.  As  the 
penalties  imposed  hy  the  Church  grew  heavier,  the 
\enrs  of  prosjMX'tive  purgatorial  jtains  grew  longer. 
Since  the  obedience  of  the  masses  to  the  mandates 
.•f  the  Church  de]>ended  largely  upon  their  desire 
to  avoid  the  aggravation  of  the  agonies  of  jnirga- 
l(»ry,  it  was  hut  natural  that  zealous  partisans  of 
the  hierarchy  should  ])aint  those  agonies  in  the 
deejicst  lines,  until  they  became,  to  the  imagina- 
tion of  the  common  pe<>]>le,  practically  equivalent 
to  the  unending  pains  of  hell. 

Hut  tlie  !'()])(•,  it  was  further  taught,  might  re- 
mit ecclesiastical  j)enalties  in  view  of  distinguished 
-t-rvice  rendered  to  the  Church,  or  generous  gifts 
to  her  coffers.  The  merits  of  Christ  and  the  g(jod 
3 


34  LUTUEU,    llIK    KKFOKMER. 

works  of  those  eminent  saints  who  liad  done  more 
than  was  re<juiri'ii  of  tlitni  were  Mii»p«»sr<l  to  con- 
stitute a  sacT(d  **  treasure  of  the  Church," 
which  the  Pope  was  authorized  to  apply  in  nuiking 
up  delicieneies  in  the  lioliness  or  ohedienee  of 
others.  He  might  even  thus  lij;hten  or  altogether 
remove  the  penalties  yet  resting  uiM»n  souls  already 
in  purgatory,  in  view  of  the  devotion  or  gifts  of 
their  surviving  relatives. 

(Jradually,  this  theory  of  pajKil  )»anlnn,  nr  in- 
dulgence, was  modified  in  two  inijMntant  particu- 
lars. It  was  nuule  applicahle,  not  only  to  the 
imperfect  ohservance  of  ihurchly  j)enalties,  hut  to 
transgressions  of  the  divine  law  as  v.cU.  Thus 
contrition,  or  sorrow  for  sin,  hecame  a  secondary 
matter,  and  repentance  a  mere  outward  ceremony 
— a  penance  rendered  hy  the  sinner  himself,  and 
even  this  avoidaide  uj)on  the  }»ayment  of  money 
for  the  henelit  of  the  Chunh. 

Thus,  hundreds  (.f  lliMU>aiids  of  indulgences,  as- 
suring the  full  pardon  of  all  sins,  were  granteil 
to  those  who  participated  in  the  Crusades.  At  a 
later  day,  they  were  freely  hestowed  in  return  for 
generous  contrihutions  of  funds  to  aid  in  war 
against  the  Turks.  The  guardians  of  sacred 
sln-ines  and  of  the  re])uted  relics  of  the  saints  in 
various  ]»laces  were  authorized  to  dispense  to  all 
visitors  there  njaking  confession  on  certain  days, 
•or  to  deceased  frii'uds  of  thi'  latter,  indulgences 
covering  varying  terms  of  years  in  purgatory. 

Pope  Leo  was  at  tliis  time  /.<al(>usly  pr(>secuting 
the  erection  of  St.  Peter's  Cathedral,  at  Home, 
and  gracicKisly  ofTered  to  all  who  should  j)ay  to  his 
accredited  agents  appropriate  sums  of  money  cer- 
tilicati'S  entitling  them  to  claim  at  the  hands  of 
any  priest  (penit«nee  heing  prudently  mentioned 
in  the  jiapers,  hut  as  jirudtntly  overloukid  in  the 


THE    CALL   TO   ACTION.  3.5 

jireacliinp  of  tlu'  auctionoerinp  aj^cnts)  abpolution 
for  all  their  sins  and  particij)ati(»n  in  all  Xhv  Mcss- 
ini^  of  salvation.  I'rincu  All>Lrt,  Archliislnip  of 
Mayence,  had  undortakin  for  one-half  the  j)ro- 
ceeds  (this  private  harjrain  being  unsuspected  by 
Luther)  the  distribution  of  these  indulj^ences 
throujrh  a  large  j)art  of  Germany,  and  had  engaired 
a  bold  and  unscrui)ul<)us  j)riest,  John  Tetzel,  to 
urge  the  j)eo]>le  to  avail  themselves  of  the  oppor- 
tunity thus  ofTered.  The  latter,  prosecuting  his 
wnrk  with  fiery  zeal,  reached  Jiiterbog,  a  few  miles 
from  \\'ittenberg,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1517,  and 
was  there  literally  selling  "  grace  for  cash."  lie 
wrought  especially  upon  the  tender  regard  of  his 
hearers  for  their  deceased  friends,  crying:  "The 
moment  the  groschen  rings  in  the  chest,  the  soul 
llies  out  of  j)urgatory." 

Members  of  Luther's  parish  jmrchased  these 
]»apers,  and  then,  boldly  confessing  sins  which 
tliey  had  no  idea  of  forsaking,  demanded  absolu- 
tion at  his  hands.  Ilorrilied  at  the  impiety,  he 
utterly  refused  to  absolve  them  and  earnestly 
admonished  tliem  to  repentance.  This  they 
]>romptly  reported  to  Tetzel,  who  declaimed  fuTcely 
against  the  presumptuous  monk  daring  thus  to 
treat  with  contemj>t  the  ])rinted  mandate  of  the 
Vn\H'.  But  the  nn»nk  maintained  his  ground,  and 
from  the  |)uljtit  denounced  the  shauieless  traflic 
He  thus  discharged  his  duty  as  a  pastor;  but  he 
felt  a  larger  responsibility  resting  upon  him  as  a 
I)«tetor  <»f  Theology,  sworn  to  ])roclaim  ami  to  tli- 
IVnd  the  (Jospel  l"f..n.  all  the  world. 


riTArTKn  ir. 


Tin:  r.ni.i)  challenge. 


The  most  jjroiniiunt  biiililiup  in  Wittrnl>erg 
was  the  Castle  Church.  Ori^'inally  tstal»li>ln<l 
ns  a  <l(|H)sit«trv  f«»ra  ''sacnil  lljorn,"  said  to  liave 
\tvvu  takni  fnun  the  crown  prcssitl  u]>on  the  Sav- 
iour's )>ro\v,  it  liatl  for  more  tlian  one  hundred  and 
fifty  years  been  a  centre  of  suixrstitious  (Kvotion, 
when,  in  the  closing;  <lecade  of  tlie  tiftecnth  century, 
the  Elector  ?>ederick  the  Wise  greatly  enlarped  it 
and  at  enormous  expense  gathered  within  its  walls 
relics  from  all  j>arts  of  the  world  to  the  number  of 
more  than  iive  thousand,  including  a  piii-e  of  the 
burning  bush  seen  by  Moses,  i)art  of  the  liery  fur- 
nace of  Nebuchadiu'zzar,  arms  and  lingn-s  «»f  the 
babes  of  Hethhlicni  slaughtered  by  IIcn»d,  hair  of 
the  Virgin  Mary,  fragments  t)f  tlie  Saviour's  swad- 
dling cl<»thes,  his  beard,  the  purple  rol>e,  toes  and 
hair  of  various  saints,  etc.  Whoever  worshiped 
reverently  in  this  sacred  e<lilice  on  the  days  innne- 
diately  preceding  or  following  the  festival  of  All 
Saints,  was  entitled  to  j)a])al  indulgence  extending 
in  some  cases  for  one  hundred  years.  This  chun  h 
stood  in  close  relation  with  the  I'niversity,  the 
public  exercises  of  the  latter  being  held  within  its 
walls,  and  academic  announcements  being  upon 
the  great  festival  days  posted  upon  its  d(K»rs. 

Here  was  lutw  the  oj.portunity  for  the  bravo 
young  Doctor.  Appointed  to  preach  in  this 
church  on  the  .'Hst  of  October,  lolT,  the  afternoon 
proce<ling  All  Saints'  day,  he  discourses  fervently 
upon   true   inward    rejMntancc   as   distinguished 


THE    noLI)    <  HALLKNC.K.  37 

from  outward  fnnnsof  peiKiMcc,  and  foarlossly  coii- 
dciniis  tlu*  trallic  in  induljjrnces,  altliou^di  well 
knowing  that  he  is  thenl^y  rohhing  the  treasured 
relies  of  the  phice  of  all  their  value  and  exposing 
to  ridieule  the  folly  <>f  his  patron,  the  Kleetor. 

Some  tinje  hefore  entering  the  chureh  he  had 
(|uietly  perfornie<l  the  aet  which  is  now  universally 
reoognizrd  as  the  actual  starting-point  of  the 
Reformation.  Stei)j)ing  uj)  to  the  great  door,  he 
nailed  upon  it  a  j)roelamation  inviting  all  jxrsons 
interested  to  participate  in  i)ei*s()n  or  hy  writing  in 
a  public  discussion  of  the  "Virtue  of  Indulg- 
ences." As  a  basis  for  the  disputation,  he  pre- 
sented Ninety-five  Theses,  or  brief  j)r()posi- 
tions,  bearing  upon  tlie  subject.  He  did  not  him- 
self realize  that  the  j)rinciples  which  lie  announced 
must  eventually  abolish  the  j)raetice  altogether 
and  undermin<'  the  whole  system  of  church  organ- 
ization by  which  they  were  sui)j)orted.  It  was 
not  his  calling  to  forecast  the  results  of  his  con- 
duct, but  simply  to  be  faithful  to  the  light  which 
he  had  and  to  his  ])osition  as  a  teacher  and  de- 
fender of  scriptural  truth. 

The  Theses  are  moderate  and  respectful  in 
tone.  The  author  freely  grants  the  right  of  tlu^ 
I'ope  to  issue  indidgences,  and  denounces  only  the 
llagrant  abuse  of  then).  Upon  some  j)oints  he  is 
not  clear  in  his  own  mind,  and  hence  states  them 
in  interrogative  form,  hoping  by  thorough  discus- 
sion to  arrive  at  right  conclusions.  Starting  with 
the  Saviour  s  call  to  repent^ince,  he  maintains  that 
the  latter  is  to  l)e  an  exjMTience  continuing  all 
through  life — an  inward  sorrow  for  sin,  manifesting 
itself  outwardly  in  the  ov<'rcoming  of  the  sinful 
impulses  iti  the  flesh;  that  the  indulgences  issued 
l»v  the  Pope  have  nothing  to  do  with  this,  but  can 
remit  only  the  outward  penalties  imposed  by  the 


38  LUTIIEK,  TIIK    KKFORMER. 

Church;  that  tlu'v  cannot  in  any  way  afTcct  the 
souls  of  the  departed;  that  every  true  Christian 
enjoys  the  ]>anlon  of  all  his  sins  without  any  in- 
dulpMice  from  the  Pope;  that  it  is  far  hetter  to  ex- 
pend one's  in(»ney  in  works  of  Christian  love  than 
to  Sijuander  it  in  the  purchase  of  indulgences;  that 
the  true  ''treasure  of  the  Church  "  is  not  any  ex- 
tra merits  of  the  saints,  hut  is  the  (iospil;  that,  if 
the  Pope  can  release  so  many  souls  from  purga- 
tory for  money,  pure  Christian  love  should  impel 
him  to  set  them  all  free;  and  that  it  is  not  by 
seeking  to  av(»id  suiTcring  and  trial,  hut  hy  hearing 
them  with  patience,  that  we  can  hope  to  enter 
heavm  at  l;i>t. 

The  reception  accorded  tlic  Tin  scs  far  ex- 
OtH'<led  the  expectations  of  their  author.  Within 
two  weeks  they  had  heen  scattered  throughout 
all  (lermany  and  in  an  incredihly  short  time  had 
penetrated  to  the  most  distant  portions  of  the 
Church. 

The  friends  of  tlie  hrave  monk  were  thoroughly 
frightened,  and  thought  he  had  gone  too  far.  Said 
the  jurist,  Jerome  Scheurf :  "  What  do  you  ex])ect 
to  accomplish?  The  authorities  ()f  the  Church 
will  not  endure  such  holdness."  The  ])rior  and 
suh-prior  of  his  cloister  hegged  him  to  desist  and 
not  thus  hring  disgrace  upon  their  entire  order. 
The  theologian,  Alhert  Krantz,  upon  hearing  the 
Theses  read,  exclaimed:  "Thou  speakest  the 
trutli,  goo<l  hrother,  hut  thou  wilt  accomplish 
nought  hy  it.  CJo  to  thy  cell,  and  cry:  '  (iod  have 
mercy  Uj»on  me.'  "  On  the  other  hand,  no  one 
venturcil  to  acc<'j)t  the  challenge  to  a  puhlic  dis- 
putation at  Wittenhcrg.  The  Theses,  with  their 
author,  stood  for  a  time  alone  before  the  world. 
Nothing  terrified,  although  sincerely  regretting  the 
wide  an«l,    as    he   thought,    premature,    publicity 


THK    noi.D    (IIALLKNGK.  89 

given  to  tlio  matter,  Lutlier  at  oiico  i.ssued  a  Dis- 
course u}xm  Indnhicnces  iind  (irnrc,  einl)0(lyin^  tlie 
same  ideas,  and  set  himself  to  the  preparation  of 
a  careful  elucidation  and  tlefeucu  of  the  positions 
>vhich  he  had  taken. 


ClIAl'Tl'R   111 


AXGUY   KESPONSES. 


Althouj^h  the  j)artisans  of  tlie  Pope  at  first  rr- 
panlini  the  Theses  with  hhmk  aiuazenient,  and 
soujrlit  to  (liscreiUt  thtin  as  the  idh*  vajmrin^^s  of  a 
eontrntioiis  monk,  it  s<»(»n  hccaine  eviih-nt  that 
nmre  serious  attention  must  he  «riven  to  them. 

Tetzel,  after  seeking  to  add  (lignity  to  his  jmsi- 
tinn  an<l  autiiority  to  his  utterances  ]>y  scH'urinj^ 
from  the  Tniversity  at  Frankfort  tlie  <h\trrees  of 
Lieintiate  and  l)oet«>r  of  Theolojry,  issue<l  two 
8eri(^  of  counter-tlieses  in  wlneh  he  l)oldly  de- 
clared that  the  repentance  spoken  of  ))y  Clirist  was 
hy  Ilim  meant  to  include  confession  to  the  j)riest 
and  theohservance  of  all  the  jMiiances  imj>osed  i»y 
tlie  Church,  an<l  that  the  I'ojte  is  infallihie  in  his 
utterances  an<l  >^u|irenie  in  his  power.  Tliree  hun- 
dn-d  Dominician  friars,  assemhii'd  at  Frankfort, 
espoused  the  cause  of  Tetzel;  hut  the  \Vitteid»crj^ 
Htudents,  Beizin«r  the  entire  stock  of  his  theses 
brought  to  that  place,  hurned  tiicm  in  the  puhlic 
square. 

I\arly  in  January,  ISIS,  there  was  issued  from 
liome  an  ollicial  document  f;ir  more  fornii(l;il.lc  in 
character.  Its  author  was  Sylvester  Prierias, 
Masti'F  of  the  Sacred  Palace,  to  whom  had  heen 
given  a  censorship  over  all  ])uhlicati<»ns  upon  the 
territory  of  the  Romish  Church.  It  advocated  the 
most  extnine  views  concerning  the  suhjiM-tion  of 
the  Clnirch  to  the  Pa]>ncy  and  the  nhsolute  neces- 
nity  of  priestly  ordinances  to  salvation,  whilst  de- 
nouncing Luther  iu<  a  leper  and  a  vicious  dog.  It 
(10) 


ANGKY    HF^PONSKS.  41 


^(•(1 


f)nifully  (Ux'larrd  tliat  if  tlu-  r<>|t(lia<I  only  jrivcn 
tliis  monk  a  fat  Msliopiic  and  allowed  him  to  sell 
in(lul<ienc('s,  he  wouM  now  Ix*  a  most  suhscrvient 
vassal  of  the  ]»aj)al  throne  \\'h('n  t(in}>t('<l  U> 
rriticisi*  severely  the  harsh  lan.miajfe  scunetimcs 
employed  hy  Lutlier  in  eontroversy,  it  will  be  well 
f«»r  us  to  rememher  that  it  was  tlie  j>apal  party 
whose  oflieial  rejtresentatives  first  descended  to  ]>er- 
st»nalities  and  the  hurlin*;  of  opprobrious  nanus. 

The  Pope  himself,  in  the  following,'  month, 
instruete«l  the  \'iear-(leneral  of  the  Augustinian 
Order  to  take  prompt  measures  for  the  suppression 
of  the  eontumaeious  monk  of  Wittenberg'.  This 
was  not  known  by  Luther,  however,  until  some 
months  afterward. 

Perhaps  the  most  unexpected  attack  was  that  of 
John  Eck,  a  distin<:uislied  theolojrian  of  In<,'ol- 
stadt,  with  whom  Luther  had  a  pleasant  ac<iuaint- 
ance,  and  for  whose  attainments  he  entertained 
sincere  respect.  This  suj)posed  friend  prepared  in 
March,  ISIS,  under  the  title,  Ohdlsci  (from  the 
custom  of  markinfr  condemned  passages  in  books 
with  the  obelisk,  f),  a  criticism  of  tlie  Theses, 
denouncing  them  as  full  of  the  poison  of  Bohemian 
heresy,  regardless  of  the  restraints  of  Christian 
love,  and  destructive  of  all  churchly  order. 

During  the  following  July,  Tetzel,  emboldened 
by  the  cont<nij)tuous  silence  with  which  liis  former 
assault  had  Ixen  received,  returned  to  the  charge, 
decrying  Luther  as  an  arch-heretic,  ignorant  of 
the  Scriptures  and  of  the  writings  of  the  Chureh 
Fathers.  Hoogstraten,  meanwhile,  who  had  al- 
ready gained  repute  as  a  i>ersecutor  of  the  renowned 
Hebrew  scholar,  Keuchlin,  called  upon  the  P()])e 
to  institute  a  bloody  inciuisition,  and  cleanse  the 
Chureh  from  the  new  leaven  of  heresy. 

To  all  these  rude  attacks  Luther  made  reply, 


42  LLTIIKH,   TlIK    KKKOKMKR. 

adaptin;!  liis  tono,  in  each  capo,  to  tlio  temper  and 
capacity  of  liis  opponent.  IVtzcl  and  Iloojzstratcn 
recti vtd  very  suniniary  treatnunt.  A^aint?t  Kck 
he  jiulilislicd  a  formal,  scliolarly  treatise  entitled 
Astrrisri  (the  mar^Miial  astt-risk,  *,  indicating'  ap- 
proval), whilst  in  response  to  tlie  otlicial  assault 
of  I'rieriap,  lie  diu^hed  oil  within  two  days  a 
leiiL'thy  and  indijrnant  rejoinder,  fortifying  his 
positions  hy  abumlant  quotati(»ns  frrmi  the  Scrip- 
tures and  from  the  arknowled^'«d  authorities  of 
the  Chuah. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


PATIENT    LABOR. 


The  months  which  followed  tlie  piihlication  of 
tlie  Tluscs  were  for  Lutlier  iiioiitlis  of  unremit- 
ting toil.  To  the  duties  of  liis  j)osition  in  the 
UniviTsity  and  the  lahor  devolving  upon  him  as 
]);i>t(>r  was  now  added  tlie  «rrave  rcsjjonsihility  of 
hadiTsliip  in  the  movement  for  reform  which 
centred  in  him  as  its  intrepid  leader.  He  had  not 
dreamed  of  hcinj^  hrought  into  such  prominence, 
l)Ut  lie  was  not  the  man  to  shrink  from  any  path 
of  dutyopenin<^  plainly  hel'orc  him.  Ilis  f^reatest 
concern  now  was  to  discover  the  exact  truth  upon 
all  tlie  j)oints  in  controversy,  and,  to  this  end,  he 
applied  himself  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  nature  to 
the  work  of  investiiration. 

As  the  Thi'ses  had  not  heen  desifrncd  as  a  final 
statement  upon  the  sul)jects  discussed,  he  l)e<;an 
it  once  the  preparation  of  an  extensive  exposition 
uf  them,  emphasizing  what  was  fundamental,  and 
candidly  confessinir  his  uncertainty  upon  some 
less  essential  points.  He  re<rarded  this  work  as 
most  important,  and  it  was  not  until  the  follow- 
iuL'  sprini?  that  it  was  <(»m]il('t('d  and  pven  to  the 
press  under  the  title,  '*  Elucidations  (tf  the  Theses 
concerninj]^  the  Virtue  of  In(lul«;ences."  On  May 
22d,  he  sent  a  ])artial  coi)y  to  his  superior,  the 
Archhishop  of  l^randenhurg,  and  on  the  8()th  of 
the  same  month  addressed  another  copy  to  the 
Poi)e,  to  whom  the  entire  work  was  dedicated. 
In  an  accomj)anyinp  letter,  he  suhmits  his  ea.sc 
with  the  most  earnest  protestations  of  his  loyalty 
(43) 


•M  UTIIKK,   TIIK    KKFDUMKK. 

to  the  Churth  ami  his  willingness  to  rocoive  cor- 
riH'tion,  or  even  eondcmnation,  at  the  liands  of  the 
Pope.  He  expresses,  however,  unshaken  eonli- 
denee  in  his  cause,  and  antieipati-s  a  favoniMc 
judgment  when  his  prin(ii)les  shall  have  received 
candid  exaniinatinn. 

A  discourse  upon  '^repentance,"  jmhlishcd 
in  Fi'itruarv  or  March,  alT<»nlrd  liini  opportunity  to 
present  in  a  positive  form  his  favorite  d(»etrine  of 
the  supreme  importance  of  faith,  which  the  special 
purpose  of  the  Theses  had  not  enahlcd  him  there 
to  discuss  at  large.  He  here  clearly  shows  that 
without  faith  neither  contrition  nor  confession  nor 
any  sacramental  act  can  have  saving  eflicacy. 

A  very  suggestive  and  comforting  ex])osition  of 
th(?  iioth  Psalm  appi-ared  witliin  the  same 
j)eriod. 

With  great  simplicity  and  fervor  he  continued 
to  unf«»hl  the  central  truths  of  the  (lospel  in  his 
friKjUcnt  sermons  and  in  his  academical  lectures. 
His  wide  repute  for  scholarshi])  and  the  courageous 
act  which  had  so  suddeidy  made  him  famous  at- 
tracted students  to  W'ittenherg  in  constantly  in- 
creasing numiters,  and  these  nearly  all  hecame 
earnest  advocates  of  his  evangelical  views.  When 
anxious  friends  suggested  that  his  course  must 
ultimately  hring  upon  him  puhlic  condemnation, 
he  re])lied:  "I  neither  htgan  for  the  sake  of  glory 
or  shame,  nor  will  1  desist  for  either." 

A  pleasing  variation  of  the  routine  of  his  official 
duties  occurred  in  April  an<l  May.  when  he  was 
summone«l  to  a  convention  of  the  Augustinian 
Order  at  Heidelberg.  Kemindccl  that  hiscnt'mies 
might  end»race  the  oj>|nirtuiiity  to  intlict  jiersonal 
violence  upon  him,  he  (Iceland :  "The  more  they 
rage,  the  ujore  will  I  pre.'^s  forward."  Ten  days 
were  re«jnir''l   •"■"•  O"-  journey,  which  was  made 


PATIKNT    LAHOR.  45 

mostly  on  foot.  During'  the  visit  lie  was  tivatcd 
with  much  kindness  l»y  his  hrcthrcn,  hut  no  ivfcr- 
(  nee  was  direetly  made  to  the  jrreat  controversy 
w  ith  which  his  name  had  hecome  so  closely  con- 
nected. W'lien  the  husiness  of  the  convention 
was  comj>lete<l,  he  was  invited,  according  to  the 

ustom  of  the  day,  to  conduct  a  disputation,  the 
.-erious  work  of  his  calliu}^  thus  followini:  him 
u{M)n  what  l)y  less  devoted  men  mi<rht  havi'  l)e(n 
reirarile<l  as  a  well-earned  vacation.  He  prc|»and, 
accordin^dy,  a  series  of  theses  upon  the  futility 
nf  the  works  of  the  law  and  the  true  doctrine  of 
liie  cross.  Tln»  theologians  of  Heidelherg  com- 
hate<l  his  views  with  jrreat  acuteness,  yet  in  a 
friendly  spirit;  hut  the  result  was  seen  in  the 
( onversion  (jf  a  nunduT  of  young  theologians  pres- 
ent to  the  views  of  Luther,  some  of  whom  after- 
wards hecame  very  prominent  in  jtromoting  the 
Reformation.  After  an  ahsence  of  ahout  live 
weeks,  he  returned,  greatly  refreshed  in  body  and 
mind,  and  applied  himself  with  renewed  vigor  to 
his  studies. 

Meanwhile,  neither  attacks  from  without  nor 
his  ahsorhing  interest  in  his  own  deparlint  nt 
could  make  him  forgetful  (»f  the  general  welfare 
of  the  institution  in  which  he  lahored.  \\'ith  a 
I'rnad  ( (»nipr<  hension  of  the  re(iuirements  of  tin' 
age,  he  earnestly  advocated  jirogressive  measures 
in  the  scientilic  and  jihilological  dei»artments  of 
the  University,  fully  convinced  that  the  most  lih- 

ral  education  could  but  promote  the  interests  of 
true  religion. 


CHAPTER  V. 

A    nUOWREATINT.    rAKPINAL. 

Meanwhile,  in  Kniiic,  formal  proceedings 
wtTi'  instituttil  apiinst  Lullur  for  liiit.^y.  On 
Au^just  11th,  l)c  ri'C'civrd  an  oflicial  citation  t<Ki|)- 
j)rar  in  the  holy  city  witliin  sixty  <lays  and  make 
answer  to  tlie  charjics  a«:ainst  liini  hcforc  a  special 
commission,  consistin*;  of  ihv  Paj»al  Auditor  and 
the  Master  of  the  Sacred  Palace,  the  ahove-nien- 
tioned  Prierias.  As  the  former  of  these  was  merely 
a  fiscal  otlicer,  with  no  aptitude  nor  experience  in 
matters  of  doctrine,  it  was  evident  that  the  decis- 
ion of  tlic  case  must  rest  with  Prierias,  wlio  had 
already  in  such  a  puhlic  and  ofTensive  way  pro- 
ni)Unced  jud.LMnent  airainst  the  accused. 

Luther,  always  ready  to  suhmit  his  ])rincij>lcs 
to  the  calm  jud.i:ment  of  friend  or  foe,  was  yet  un- 
willing to  make  himself  the  victim  of  a  mock-trial 
at  the  hand  of  his  sworn  enemy.  :ni<l  1m  ncc  very 
promptly  resolved  that  he  would  not  obey  the 
summons.  He  requested  that  a  trial  he  panted 
him  upon  German  soil  and  hefore  unj)rejudiced 
judges,  and  sought  the  good  oflices  (jf  his  sovereign, 
the  Elector  Frederick,  in  securing  this  reasonahle 
concession.  The  latter  was  ])rovi<lentially  just  at 
this  time  in  ]>osition  to  wield  a  peculiarly  ])owerful 
inlluencc  upon  hoth  the  civil  and  the  ecclesiastical 
authorities.  There  was  even  then  assemhed  at 
Augshurg  an  Imju'rial  Diet,  to  which  Pope  Leo 
was  a])pealing  f«»r  funds  to  carry  on  a  ])rolonged 
war  with  the  Turks,  and  from  which  the  Emperor 
Maximilian  wua  endeavoring  to  secure  the  election 
(40/ 


A    BROWHEATING    (AKIUNAL.  17 

of  Ills  graiulsnn,  Cliarles  of  Spain,  as  his  own  suc- 
'  <ss(»r.  Both  lia«l,  tlieiffon',  every  reason  to  con- 
ciliate the  KKitnr  Frederiek,  of  Saxt>ny,  who  was 
llie  aeknowh'dged  ehief  of  the  electoral  princes  and 
was  himself  nuiitioned  as  a  prohahle  candidate 
for  the  coveted  imperial  throne. 

Thus  the  scheme  to  entrap  Luther  at  Rome 
failed,  and  it  was  agree(l  that  he  should  he  tried  at 
AuL^hurir,  hythe]>apal  representative  then  ]>resent 
at  the  Diet,  Cardinal  Cajetan  This  olheial  was 
a  man  of  recognized  ahility,  the  acknowIe<lge(l 
leader  of  tlu-  Tliomisl  party  anion.L'  the  scholastic 
tlieolojrians  of  the  day.  For  his  hij^di  ofliee  Luth<r 
t  iitertaintHl  sincere  respect,  and  it  was  with  n(j 
little  trej)id-ition  that  tlie  lattef  now  for  the  first 
time  ]trej>are<l  to  ap]>ear  in  j»ei*son  before  a  direct 
repri'sentative  of  the  Pope,  whom  he  still  re<:arded 
as  the  rightful  head  of  the  Church. 

Disreganling  the  warnings  of  sus]>ieio\is  friends, 
he  set  out  on  foot,  and  on  Octoher  7th  arrived  at 
Augsburg  weary  and  sick.  He  at  once  notilled 
the  Cardinal  of  his  jjresence  by  a  messenger,  refus- 
ing however  to  apj»ear  in  person  until  furnished 
with  the  injperial  safe-conduct  to  which  he  was 
entitled.  The  Km]>eror  being  absent  from  the  city 
upon  a  hunt,  four  days  elapsed  before  the  irritated 
and  im])atient  Cardinal  could  secure  the  oppor- 
tunity of  dealing  with  the  tr<»ul)lesome  monk. 

In  the  nieantinie,  a  trusted  friend  of  his.  Urban 
of  Serralonga,  called  rejieatedly  upon  Lutlnr 
;ind  endeavored  to  induce  him  to  take  a  less  serious 
\  iew  of  the  situation.      The  whole  matter  could  be 

ttled,  he  declared,  by  one  little  word  of  six  let- 
.ei-s,  "  revoco"  (I  recant).  Wlun  Luther  j)leaded 
for  the  common  i>eople,  who  were  !)eing  so  sliame- 
fnlly  deluded,  the  trilling  ecclesiastic  laughingly 
maintained   tliat    it    is  allowable  to    deceive    the 


l^  LITIIKK.   TlIK    HEFOKMER. 

|H'<»pK\  if  by  lljat  means  money  ean  !>e  inaile  to 
How  into  the  oolTers  of  the  Chiireh.  Finally,  he 
reniinilcil  Luther  tliat  lie  eould  not  cxptvt  the 
Elirtor  to  iio  to  war  for  his  defenee,  and  taunt- 
injxly  inquired  where  In-  would  lind  a  refu^ri'  when 
the  strnnj^  arm  nf  the  Kmpire  shiKild  he  invoked 
a«;ainst  liim.  To  this  Luther  ealndy  rej)lied: 
*'  Under  the  open  sky.'' 

At  lenjrtli.  on  Octnln  r  Titli,  the  aeeused  and  his 
jud«,'e  stood  face  to  face.  Luther,  wearing'  a  rohe 
whieh  he  had  lM)rrowed  for  the  occasion,  ])ri>st rated 
himsi'lf  hefore  the  great  s)>iritual  j>rince  and  ex- 
presseil  his  readiness  to  make  any  c«>ncessions 
which  his  conscience  should  allow.  The  Cardinal 
addressed  him  j)atronizin<rly  as  his  "dear  son," 
and  proposed  to  hcl]>  him  out  of  all  his  trouble  if 
he  wouM  simply  retract  his  errors  and  j)romise  to 
refrain  from  all  conduct  tending;  to  create  dissatis- 
faction in  the  Church.  In  resjujuse  to  Luther's 
demand  for  a  specilication  of  his  su]>posed  errors, 
the  Cardinal  limited  his  charfres  to  two  points: — 
Luther,  he  said,  had  denied  that  the  merits  of 
Christ  constitut<'  a  treasure  from  which  the  Church 
may  draw  in  the  dispensin«r  of  indulirences.  and 
had  maintaincfl  that  the  sacraments  cannot  benetit 
unless  then-  be  faith  in  the  recipient,  lie  declared 
that  he  would  not  condescend  to  enp»<r(»  in  any  ar- 
liumcnt  uj)on  these  j)oints,  but  demanded  simply 
the  distinct  revocation  of  the  heretical  utterances. 
A  conference  of  three  days'  duration  provinir  utterly 
fruitless,  theenraired  Cardinal  bade  Luther  depart 
from  his  presence  and  never  return  unless  to  nnant. 

A  little  reflection,  however,  convinced  the 
hau|;hty  pnlate  that  In-  had  been  too  hasty.  It 
was  tin- (Icsin*  of  his  master,  tlw  l*o|ie,  tlial  Luther 
nhouM  in  some  way  be  hnm^ht  to  silence;  an<l 
Cii.  tin  li  ..]  midc  not  the  slightest  progress  in  that 


A  nuownEATiNc;  cahdinal.  49 

(liroctioii.  llr  sent,  tluTofons  upon  tlio  panic  day 
fur  two  of  Liitlu'i-'s  most  trusted  frit'uds,  Staupitz, 
the  Vicar-(Ji'iieral  of  Luther's  order,  and  Link, 
the  Prior  of  the  Auj^ustinian  eonvent  at  Nureni- 
l>er^',  hoth  of  whom  were  witli  Luther  at  the  Car- 
melite monastery  of  the  eity.  As  tliey  resi)onded 
]>rom])tly  to  Ins  summons,  he  assured  tliem  of  Ids 
kindly  feelin<,'s  toward  Luther  and  his  own  desire 
for  pcaec,  and  ur^ed  them  to  exert  their  inlluenee 
to  eoneiliate  the  liery  monk,  whose  "  deej)  eyes 
and' wonderful  speculations"  he  was  unwilling 
a^ain  to  eneounter.  They  ri'])()rted  aecordin.Ldy  at 
the  convent,  and  Luther,  always  easily  moved  hy 
kindiu'ss,  a<ldn\<scd  a  courteous  letter  to  the  Car- 
dinal, apologizing  for  any  lack  of  propriety  in  his 
speech  or  demeanor,  re-ailirming  his  willingness 
to  recall  anything  which  he  had  said  if  convinced 
of  his  error,  an<l  agreeing  to  remain  silent  upon 
the  «|Uestion  of  indulgences  provided  his  adver- 
saries would  do  likewise. 

On  ()ct(>her  ISth,  he  notified  the  Cardinal  that 
he  could  not  remain  much  longer  in  Augshurg, 
and,  his  letters  receiving  no  attention,  he  two  days 
later  left  the  city  quietly  hy  night, — not,  however, 
1)(  fore  he  had  ])r<']>are(l  a  formal  ap])eal  from  th(^ 
Pope  illy-informed  to  the  Pope  better-in- 
formed, sentling  one  copy  l>y  a  trusty  friend  to 
(  ajtlan  and  posting  one  for  the  information  of  the 
)»ui>lic  upon  the  wall  of  the  catheclral.  V\nm  his 
journey  homeward,  he  received  a  copy  of  the  in- 
structions which  the  Poju*  had  given  to  Cajetan, 
hearing  date  of  August  'ioth,  authorizing  hin»  to 
arrest  Lnther  and  clothing  him  with  full  jiower  to 
'  xeonnnunicate  any  and  all  adherents  of  the  lat- 
ter at  his  discretion,  and  to  place  undir  the  han 
any  prince,  city  or  university  that  should  alTonl  a 
refuge  to  the  condemned  monk. 


60  U'THEH,   TIIK    KKKOHMER. 

The  oficct  «»f  llu'  transactions  at  Aiijrslnir*:  upon 
Luther  was  to  ^rrcatly  diiiiinish  liis  rt  sprct  for  the 
papal  autli(»rity  and  to  encourage  him  in  hoUlly 
priH'lainiing  the  prin(ij>l('S  which  he  had  then*  so 
successfully  niaintaineil.  If  rrierias  and  C'ajetan 
were  ahle  to  jnesent  no  stronger aiirunients  a;:ainst 
him,  what  couhl  he  have  to  fear  from  other  adver- 
saries? 

On  \\vj.  'J'tth,  the  Cardinal  addressed  a  letter 
to  the  Elector  Frederick,  warning'  him  a^^ainst 
aiTordinj;  shelter  to  the  incorrigible  m<»nk,  urj:in<x 
his  immediate  surren<ler  to  tlie  Romish  authori- 
ties, or,  at  least,  his  hanishment  from  the  electoral 
dominions.  The  faithful  Frederick,  ])erplexed  as 
to  his  duty  but  sincerely  attached  to  his  fearless 
subject,  sent  the  Utter  to  LutluT,  allowing  him  to 
re]>ly  for  himself,  and  three  weeks  later  dictated  a 
di«:nified  and  non-committal  n  ply  to  the  Cardinal 
in  his  own  name. 

After  })uhlishin^  a  full  account  of  the  occur- 
rences at  Au«;sburj;,  Luther  now,  utterly  distrust- 
inf?  the  Pope,  and  beginninfj  even  to  suspect  that 
the  latter  was  the  Antichrist  spoken  of  in  Revela- 
tions, niade  a  formal  appeal,  in  his  own  hihalf 
an<l  in  that  i>f  the  large  numlM  r  of  his  countrymen 
who  shared  his  views,  to  a  General  Council  of  the 
Church  to  he  held  in  some  secure  and  accessible 
locality. 

Whilst  at  Augsburg,  Stau]»itz,  as  Vicar  (li-neral 
of  the  Augustinians,  had  absolved  him  from  his 
vow  of  obedience  to  that  order,  that,  in  the 
event  of  his  excomnnmication,  the  standing  of  the 
onler  in  (iermany  might  not  be  compromised,  and 
that  he  might  not  feel  bouml  by  his  solcnni  oath 
t<»  sulunit  to  the  discipline  thus  administere<l. 

Lutli"  r  now  .seriously  nHMlitateil  :i  departure 
from  Wittenberg  in  order  that  the  Klc(  tor  and 


A   BROWHEATINd    CARDINAL.  51 

tlie  University  mi^^'ht  not  be  coiiijmIIcI  to  share  the 
•  xliuin  wliifh  he  had  l)r()ii.L;]it  upon  liiinsclf.  It 
was,  howevtT,  dccick'd  tliat  lie  should  remain,  at 
Irast  until  the  edict  of  exeouniiunicatiou  should  he 
actually  issu<'d.  He  aeeordiu;:ly  l)ade  a  eondi- 
tinnal  farewell  to  his  eon«;re^Mtion  and,  ready  for 
lliL^ht  at  any  inoment,  (|uietly  applied  himself  to 
his  ordinary  duties,  his  soul  ''Idled  with  joy  and 
peace/'  the  sure  reward  of  conscious  rectitude. 


( iiAiTKi:  vr. 


MIl.KKi:    MEASURES. 


Anxious  to  arrest  the  ])roprcss  of  the  new  doc- 
trines, yet  fearinpj  to  deal  liarshly  witli  Luther,  the 
Pope  now  entered  upon  a  eanipaiLni  of  eoiuihation. 

On  Nov.  Uth  lie  issued  a  proclamation  (pul>- 
lished  in  (iiTniany  Dee.  loth),  (•<)U(  li(<l  in  ^^cneral 
terms,  and  niaintainin.L',  airainst  tin*  errors  of  ecr- 
tain  monks  and  jnvachers,  that  tlie  divine  penal- 
ties for  sins  may  )k'  remittcil  l>y  induljrt'necs,  and 
that  the  ''treasure  of  the  C'hureh,"  eonsi.^tin^^  of 
the  merits  of  Christ  and  of  the  saints,  is  availahle 
for  this  j)Urpose.  He  thus  arrayed  the  Cliureh 
more  distinetly  than  hcfore  in  support  of  these 
doctrines,  hut  avoided  all  dinrt  nuntion  of  the 
name  of  Luther. 

'Die  efforts  of  C'ajetan  having:  failed,  a  new  en- 
voy was  despatched  from  Kome  in  the  pt  rson  of 
the  Pope's  ehamherlain,  Karl  von  Miltitz.  He, 
hein«?  a  Saxon  nohleman  and  familiar  with  the 
temi>er  of  the  (lerman  people,  wiu*  well  suited  for 
till'  task  assigned  him.  He  hore  with  him  letters 
from  the  Poi)e,  addressed  to  the  Elector  Frederi<'k, 
the  nia<ristrates  of  W'ittenherg,  and  many  otlu'rs, 
in  which  Luther  was  denounced  as  a  "son  of 
Satan,"  and  "son  of  perdition,"  and  the  recipi- 
ents were  adjured  to  render  all  possihle  assistance 
to  Miltitz  in  proceedin«r  ajiainst  him.  As  the 
Elector  Frederick  was  regarded  as  the  chief  pro- 
tector of  the  heretic,  a  special  effort  was  made  to 
ensure  his  good-will  hy  the  presentation  to  him  of 
the  Golden  Rose,  an  emliKin  bebtuwcd  annually 
(52) 


MII.nKK    MKASl'IJKS.  53 

l)y  tlic  Tope  ui)on  sonu'  ])riiR'c  as  a  mark  of  .-pirial 
l"av(»r. 

Miltitz,  iii»(»ii  liis  arrival,  first  of  all  soii^'lit  a 
conference  with  Cajetan.  As  he  travilcd 
tlmniL^li  (ifrin-my  he  discoviTi'd  to  his  dismay 
that  fully  oni'-half  the  i>ojnihK'e  seemed  to  he 
upon  the  side  of  Luther,  and  saw  in  this  an  addi- 
ti(tnal  reason  for  the  greatest  eaution.  He  sum- 
moned Tetzel  hefore  him  and  severely  repri- 
luanded  him  for  his  ajipro])riation  of  money 
received  from  the  sale  of  indulgenees,  and  for  his 
immoral  life.  The  latter  retired  in  disgraee  to  the 
Dominican  monastery  at  Lei])zig,  where  he  died 
a  few  months  afterward.  If  the  papal  authorities 
ima.Ldned  that  their  heartless  ahandoument  of  the 
poor  monk  when  he  could  no  longer  serve  their 
purposes  would  appeas(»  Luther,  they  were  greatly 
mistaken.  lie  was  stirre<l  with  indignati(»n  and 
]>itv,  and  addressed  a  cordial  letter  of  sym})athy 
to  Tetzel. 

It  was  not  until  the  opening  week  of  the  year 
1519  that  Miltitz  and  Luther  met  hy  ai)point- 
ment  at  Altenherg.  The  hearing  n[  the  envoy  was 
extremely  courteous.  lie  im])lored  Luther  with 
tears  to  assist  in  cheeking  the  rising  tide  of  dis- 
content, and  at  the  conclusion  of  the  interview 
dismissed  him  with  a  kiss.  He  agreed  to  use  all 
his  influence  at  Rome  to  secure  for  Luther  a  hear- 
ing hefore  a  German  hishop,  who  should  after  an 
impartial  hearing  decid*^  which,  if  any,  of  the 
utterances  of  the  latter  were  really  in  coniliet  witli 
the  teachings  of  the  Church.  Pending  the  )>ro- 
j)os«'d  arititration,  Luther  agreed  to  refrain  from 
furtlirr  attacks,  j>rovidcd  his  opponents  sh(»uld  also 
niiiain  silent.  lie  ])romised  to  write  an  apolo- 
getic letter  to  the  Po|»e,  and  to  ])uhlish  an 
appeal  to  tlie  common  people  exhorting  them  to 


54  I-ITHKU,   Tin;    KI:F(»UMK1{. 

rnnain  faithful  to  the  Uuinan  CathoHr  Cluircli. 
In  the  hittor,  written  noon  afterward,  Luther 
acknowledges  the  autliority  of  the  Pojn*  as  sub- 
ordinate only  to  that  of  Christ  himself,  encour- 
ages the  connnon  j)eoi»le  to  seek  the  intercession 
of  the  saints  for  themselves  and  the  souls  in 
j»urpitnry,  and  ur.L'es  them  to  leave  the  settlement 
of  tile  disturl>in^^  <iuesti<)ns  of  the  day  to  the  thcH)- 
logians,  and  to  interpret  his  own  writings,  not  as 
hostile  to  the  Chnrch,  hut  as  designed  to  promote 
her  welfare. 

15y  mutual  consint  the  Archbishop  of  Treves 
was  selected  as  a  suitaltlc  ju  rson  t<»  conduct  the 
proposed  investigation,  and  during  llie  weeks  fol- 
lowing Miltitz  earnestly  hut  fruitlessly  sought  to 
perfect  the  necessary  arrangements.  Luther, 
while  assenting,  took  but  little  interest  in  the 
matter,  as  the  result  would  at  best  be  no  more 
than  the  spmfication  of  distinct  charges  against 
him,  the  final  decision  being  still  left  to  his 
enemies  at  Rome.  The  Poj)e,  on  March  29th,  be- 
fore receiving  Luther's  letter,  which  was  written 
on  the  3d  of  that  month,  addressed  to  him  a 
friendly  c«»mmunication,  expressing  himself  as 
highly  gratified  that  his  "  beloved  son  "  has  made 
such  large  concessions  and  is  now  willing  to  re- 
tract his  errors,  assuring  him  of  full  pardon  for 
the  violence  he  had  displayed  under  the  ])rovoca- 
tion  of  Tiitzel's  imi)rudent  utterances,  and  then  in 
a  tone  of  con<lescending  kindness  njieating  the 
demand  for  his  appearance  at  Rome  for  the 
purpose  of  renouncing  his  errors  in  the  }>resence 
of  the  supreme  TontifT.  This  letter,  alth»>ugh 
never  delivi  red  to  Luther,  furnishes  the  clearest 
evidence  that  the  project  of  Miltitz  for  a  hearing 
Upon  (ierman  soil  met  with  no  favor  at  Home,  and 
that  the  seemingly  friendly  ajiproaches  were  but 


MILDER    MEASURES.  66 

an  attempt  to  secure  hy  fliittfry  ^vhat  could  not 
be  j;ain('(l  l>y  viokiice. 

Lutlur  luul  so  re^rardctl  the  wlmle  movtiuent 
from  the  be«rinning,  deehirin^  to  his  frinids  that 
the  tears  of  Mihitz  were  crocodile-tears  and  liis 
kiss  a  Judas-kiss.  Yet  he  met  courtesy  with 
courtesy,  and  madf  all  concessions  possible  in  the 
interest  of  peace,  still  however  employin<r  his  time 
in  further  preparation  for  the  conlliet  which  he 
now  saw  to  be  inevitable. 


CIIArTKn    VTT. 


PUBLIC    DEBATK. 


SrARfELY  had  tlio  interview  with  Miltitz  heeii 
coiiehidcd,  wlieii  Luther  heard  anew  tlie  blast  of 
^var  in  another  <juarter.  Carlstadt,  his  associate 
at  Witten))er^,  liad  forsome  time  l>ein  eoiuhieting 
a  j»amphKt  controversy  with  John  Eck,  of  In«:ol- 
stiidt,  and  arnin<,'enients  liad  now  l»een  ina(h'  ft)r 
the  lioldin^  of  a  joint  (U'hate  \\\um  the  jM^ints  at 
issue.  Tlie  time  and  j)lace  had  not  yet  heen 
agreed  uj)on,  hut  the  energetic  cliampion  of 
Roman  ortho(h)xy  had  already  issueil  a  series  of 
twelve  theses  (afterwards  increased  to  thirteen), 
wliich  were  very  evidently  aimed,  not  at  (  arl- 
stadt,  hut  at  Luther.  A  copy  was  sent  hy  Eck  to 
Luther  with  an  invitation  to  he  present  at  the  dis- 
cussion. As  the  latter  well  knew  that  C  arlstadt 
was  a  man  of  more  ZA'al  than  learning  and  hy  no 
means  a  match  for  Eck  in  dehate,  and  as  the  as- 
sault was  chietly  desijrne<l  to  hring  his  own  teach- 
ing into  <lisrcitute,  he,  fueling  no  longer  hoimd  hy 
his  conditional  pledge  of  silence,  resolved  not  only 
to  he  present,  Init  to  claim  the  privileg«'  of  taking 
an  active  j)art  in  tlie  discussion.  Many  ditli- 
culties  were  tlirown  in  liis  way,  hut  Ids  indomit- 
able persistence  overcame  them  all. 

It  was  finally  agreed  that  the  disputation 
sliould  !)c  held  at  Leipzig,  Ixginning  June  'iTth. 
This  city,  convenitiitly  1(m  ;itcd  and  famed  for  its 
University,  was  in  itsilf  a  suital>Ie  place  for  such 
a  tournament;  hut  the  sentiment  of  tlu"  stu(h'nts 
and  burghers  was  stronglv  with  the  dominant 
(  oC.  ) 


PL-BLIC    DERATE.  o7 

party,  not  only  on  the  score  of  doctrine,  but  l»e- 
<  ausc  of  the  jealousy  with  which  the  new  Uni- 
versity at  Wittenherj:  was  rciranlcd. 

The  last  of  the  thesis  ])nn)osc(l  Ijy  Eck  contro- 
vertetl  a  ])«»sition  wiiich  only  Luther  had  darc(l  to 
assume,  and  from  which  even  C'arlstadt  shrank 
liack  in  dread,  namely,  that  the  supreme  j»(»\ver 
wielded  hy  the  Pope  did  not  rest  upon  divine 
right,  but  was  the  result  of  a  j)urely  human 
arran«(ement.  The  introduction  of  this  subject 
into  the  controversy,  intended  by  Eck  to  form  the 
climax  of  the  debate  and  to  concentrate  upon  his 
op})(»ni'nt  the  whole  power  of  the  Papacy,  whose 
very  foundations  were  thus  assailed,  compelled 
Luther  to  make  a  thorough  investipition  of  the 
oriL'in  of  the  jiapal  power.  He  read  over  the 
wln)le  series  of  the  "decretals"  issued  by  the 
popes,  and  on  March  13th,  only  ten  days  after  his 
submissive  letter  to  Leo,  amazed  at  the  violence 
done  to  the  Scrii)tures  by  these  supposed  infallildc 
utterances,  he  wrote  to  a  friend  that  he  was  un- 
able to  decide  whether  the  Pope  is  Antichrist  him- 
self or  only  his  apostle,  lie  was  at  lirst  tempted 
to  withhold  the  discoveries  thus  made  forcfTective 
use  in  the  a]»j)roachin<j:  debate,  but,  his  desire  for 
tlie  dissemination  of  the  truth  overconiin}^  his 
]>rudence,  lie  published  in  advance  a  series  of 
ariruments  apiinst  the  accepted  teachin<r  U]^on  this 
]»oint,  and  presented  his  own  broad  conception 
of  the  Church,  as  embracinpj  all  true  believers, 
and  as  dependent  for  its  existence  and  authority 
upon  no  form  of  outward  orL^anization  whatsoever. 

This  was  by  far  the  most  radical  ])osition 
which  he  had  yet  assumed,  and  for  the  time  be- 
in;;  it  absorbed  all  the  interest  of  the  opposing 
parties.  The  final  decision  ujton  all  ])oints  of 
doctrine  had  been  hitherto  supposed  to  lie  with 


58  LUTIIEU,   TIIK    HEFOIIMER. 

the  visiMo  liond  of  the  Chiiuli,  Fittinp  as  the 
Vicar  of  Clirist  in  the  chair  of  St.  Peter  at  Koine. 
If,  now,  it  could  l)e  slwiNvn  that  tlie  ( laims  of  the 
Pope  ucre  witht»ut  the  sanction  of  tlie  Serij>ture, 
or  even  of  Instory,  the  way  would  appear  to  he 
open  for  the  unsettling  of  confidence  in  the 
Church  itself,  and  men  would  ask  hy  what 
authority,  then,  truth  could  ever  be  cstahlished. 
It  was  l»ut  jrradually  that  Luther  himself  aban- 
doned the  idea  of  findinjx  somewhere  an  external 
tribunal  for  the  final  determination  of  vital  fjues- 
tions  of  doctrine.  Finding  the  Po])es  so  sadly  un- 
reliable, he  yet  cherisliecl  the  idea  that  a  general 
council  representing;  the  whole  Church,  although 
n<'t  ill  itself  infallible,  would  always  be  i)reservcd 
from  error  in  doctrine,  and  lienee  the  contidiiice 
with  which  he  had  himself  aj>}»ealed  to  such 
a  tribunal. 

The  coming  disputation  was  looked  forward 
to  by  both  jtarties  with  the  keenest  interest.  It 
was  to  be  a  great  occasion  for  Leipzig.  Kck  was 
on  hand  several  days  in  advance.  Carlstadt 
entere<l,  with  Luther  and  ^blanelitbon,  on  June 
24th,  accom])anied  by  two  liumlred  \\'ittcnberg 
students  armed  with  swords  and  halberds.  From 
every  direction  came  j^rofessors  and  students, 
monks  an<l  tradesmen.  A  number  of  the  followers 
of  IIuss,  from  liohemia,  eager  to  see  and  lu^ir  the 
brave  man  who  seemed  to  them  about  to  a.'^sume 
the  work  of  their  slain  leader,  ventured  to  j»rcss  in 
with  the  great  throng.  A  large  hall  in  the  palace 
had  been  gorgeously  decorated  by  onlcr  of  l)uke 
(ieorgc,  wh<»  himself  watchctl  the  )»roceedings  with 
deep  sr»licitude. 

Luther  and  his  frimds  desired  that  the  entire 
discussion  !»<•  taken  down  by  competent  notaries, 
in  order  that  there  might  be  no  misunderstanding 


rri'.LIC    DKHATE.  59 

or  misropresontations.  To  this  Eck  ol)JLH.'tL'(l,  Imt 
he  was  liiially  ovi'irulcil.  Ho  was  more  successful 
ill  the  clenian<l,  in  which  lie  was  supi>orte(l  by 
Duke  (JeorL'O,  that  the  whole  |)rocee(liii<;s  be 
afterward  submitted  to  some  prominent  uni- 
versity, whose  tlieolo;;ians  should  decide  which 
|)arty  wiis  victorious.  Luther,  (Ui  the  ccmtrary, 
desired  to  submit  the  case  to  the  judgment  of  the 
Church  at  lari;e.  It  will  be  oljserved  that  he  was 
tlius  far  in  advance  of  his  age  in  his  confident 
appeal  to  eiiliixhtcnt'd  ])ul>lii'  (>[>ini()n. 

Tlir  proceedings  began  on  the  a])pointi'd  <lay 
witli  an  opriiiim  adihcss  in  the  hall  of  tlie  I'lii- 
versity,  a  solemn  mass  in  St.  Thomas'  church,  and 
a  grand  ]>roeession  of  citizens,  students  and 
stran<rers,  with  ilarin*^  banners  and  Mare  of 
trumpets,  to  the  scene  of  conflict. 

Four  days  were  consumed  by  Eck  and  Carl- 
stadt  in  a  fruitless  discussion  of  the  relations  be- 
tween the  divine  sovereignity  and  the  free  will  of 
man,  in  which  the  superior  adroitness  and 
scholastic  erudition  of  the  former  «iave  him  a  great 
advantage.  lUit  little  interest  was  manifested  by 
the  spectators  until  July  4th,  when  the  real 
(•hami)ion  of  the  new  doctrines  stood  face  to  face 
with  his  now  exultant  antagonist. 

A  graphic  j)ortraiture  of  the  two  men  from  the 
])en  of  an  eye-witness,  Mosellanus,  has  fortunately 
l>een  ])reserved.  Luther  is  described  as  of 
morlerate  stature,  his  body  worn  by  care  and 
study.  Yet  he  is  apj)arently  in  the  strength  of 
early  manhood.  Ilis  voice  is  clear  and  penetrat- 
ing. He  has  a  well-stored  and  ready  memory, 
and  is  lluent  in  speech  but  needlessly  caustic  at 
times.  In  social  intercourse  he  is  affable,  viva- 
cious and  witty.  He  ap])eared  during  the  contro- 
versy always  at   his  ease,  and    his  countenance, 


60  LirilKU,   TIIK    KEKOKMKIl. 

evon  undtT  the  fiercest  attacks  of  liis  assailant, 
wius  composed  ami  cluHrful.  lie  coininoiily  luld 
a  hunch  of  lh>\vers  in  his  hand,  with  whose  fra- 
grance he  frequently  rei:aled  hinisrlf,  to  the  appar- 
ent (Hsioniliture  of  his  enemies. 

Eck,  on  tlie  contrary,  was  of  j)Owerful  physiipie, 
with  a  full,  deep  voice.  The  features  of  his  coun- 
tenance sujjpested  tlie  meat-shop  rather  than  the 
theologian's  chair.  His  memory  was  remarkahle, 
hut  lie  was  neither  ipiick  in  apprehension  nor 
clear  in  judgment.  lie  would  heap  »|Uotation 
upon  quotation  from  the  Church  Fathers  and 
scholastic  teachers,  without  regard  to  order  «>r 
relevancy  to  the  matter  in  hand,  his  a])j)art  nt 
ohject  heing  to  astound  the  hearer  with  an  empty 
show  of  learning.  When  hard  pressed,  he  did 
not  hesitate  to  shift  his  ground  and  claim  the 
position  of  his  assailant  as  his  own.  To  an  ad- 
mirer of  the  Ingolstadt  champion,  on  the  con- 
trary, he  appears  as  a  veritahle  Hector,  hold  as  a 
lion,  guarding  the  citadel  of  the  Church's  faith, 
his  (juiver  full  of  thunderholts  for  the  extermina- 
tion of  the  W'itteiihergers. 

For  four  days  the  discussion  hetween  Kck  and 
Luther  was  confined  to  the  crucial  (piestion  of  the 
divine  right  of  the  papal  supremacy.  Fek 
claimed  that  the  divine  ideal  of  government  hail 
always  heeii  a  monan  hy — that  heaven  itself  is  a 
monarchy,  and  that  Christ  can  have  istahlished 
His  kingdom  on  earth  in  no  other  form.  Luther 
easily  met  this  argument  hy  pointing  out  that  the 
Church  is  indeed  a  monarchy,  hut  that  Christ 
Himself  is  its  only  Head,  and  that  otherwise  the 
Church  would  he  a  headless  hody  w  henever  a  j)ope 
dies.  The  (»j)posin^  interj)retations  of  the  pas- 
sage in  Matthew  concerning  the  rock  upon  whicli 
Christ  declared  tliat   He  wouM  huiM  His  Church 


PrRLIC    DKRATE.  01 

were  PUj>port«Ml  upon  hoth  sidos  hy  almndant 
« I  notations  from  the  j;roat  teachers  of  the  Church. 
In  maintaining'  that  the  su]»remacy  of  the  Tope 
was  a  mo(UTn  idea,  Lnther  (piotcd  from  tlie  (ireek 
Fathers  and  from  ('y]>rian.  An.Lnistine,  the  Conncil 
««f  Nice,  etc.;  hut  wh«n  l^ck  cited  St.  IJernard,  for 
whom  Lnther  was  known  to  liavea  special  rej^ard, 
the  latter,  undismayecl,  appealed  from  Ht-rnard, 
and  all  human  authorities,  to  the  Scriptures 
rpon  a  reference  hy  Luther  to  the  indrjKndcnt 
jtosition  of  the  Eastern  Church,  Kck  passionat«ly 
declared  that  all  the  (Ireeks  who  refused  alle;^dance 
to  Home  were  heretics,  a  view  which  Luther  pro- 
nounced utterly  shanu^ful. 

The  critical  point  of  the  discussion  was  reached 
when  Kck  declared  that  among  the  doctrines  of 
I  hiss,  condenmed  as  heretical  hy  the  Council  of 
Constance,  were  those  now  heing  maintained  hy 
Luther.  This  was  a  masterly  stroke  of  dialectic 
jiuliey.  The  Condemnation  of  IIuss  met  with  the 
approval  of  the  great  mass  of  the  German  j)eoi)le, 
and  his  Bohemian  followers  were  regarded  with 
the  greatest  ahhorrence  as  schismatics  and  heretics, 
a  prejudice  which  Luther  himself  still  largely 
shared.  Yet  the  facts  oi  the  case  were  as  stated 
hy  E.k.  What  should  Luther  do?  Pvight  hravely 
does  he  meet  the  issue,  declaring  that  among 
the  j)roi)ositions  of  IIuss  condenmed  at  Constance 
were  some  that  were  thoroughly  Christian  and 
evangelical,  particularly  those  concerning  the 
nature  of  the  Church  and  the  primacy.  Eagerly 
does  his  adversary  seize  ui)on  this  hold  assertion 
as  indicating  contempt  for  the  solemn  declaration 
of  a  great  Council.  Cnwilling  to  appear  in  this 
light,  and  strongly  Itound  hy  his  own  life-long 
reverence  for  the  decisions  of  such  a  general  repr<'- 
sentative  hody  of   the  Church,   Luther   tried   in 


62  LUTIIEH,   THE    REFORMER. 

every  possible  way  to  defeml  the  Council  from  the 
charge  of  error,  hut  linally  referred  this  phase  of 
the  (juestinn  hack  to  Kek,  stoutly  inaintaininj^ 
that,  at  all  event**,  these  propositions  of  IIuss  anil 
his  own  were  true  and  confirmed  hy  the  hi^diest 
of  all  authorities,  the  Sacred  Scriptures. 

The  discussion  of  other  doctrines  which  fol- 
lowed constantly  drifted  hack  to  this  ahsorhin;: 
question  of  the  final  source  of  authority  in  the 
Church.  In  refusing  to  recnuMii/.f  tlie  Second 
Hook  of  Maccahccs,  Luther  foun<l  himself  ai^ain  in 
open  conlliit  with  the  Chunh,  an<l  upon  theijues- 
tion  of  pur<;atory  he  was  compelled  to  face  the 
clear  declaration  of  anoth(*r  Council,  that  of  Flor- 
ence, held  in  1438.  In  Ixitli  cases,  he  calmly 
maintained  his  groun<l. 

On  July  14th',  Lutlier  yicMed  liis  place  to  Carl- 
stadt,  whose  privilei^e  it  was  to  have  the  linal  word 
U{)on  the  side  of  the  Reformers,  an«l  after  a  day 
or  two  the  disputation  was  hrou«:ht  to  a  hurried 
close.  Luther  returned  to  his  work.  K(  k  re- 
mained for  nine  days  in  Leijizij^  as  the  honored 
guest  of  the  city,  everywhere  greeted  as  victor  and 
loaded  with  honors.  The  Universities  of  Paris 
and  Krfurt,  to  which  the  reports  of  the  trans- 
actions were  referred,  refused,  upon  various 
grounds,  to  render  any  decision. 

The  great  conflict  from  which  so  much  had  heen 
expected  appeare(l  to  have  heen  fruitless.  Me- 
lanchthon,  Mosellanus  and  others  greatly  depre- 
cated the  unseemly  strife  as  not  calculated  tx) 
promote  the  interests  of  true  ])iety.  Much  good 
was' however  accomplished  hy  the  great  interest 
awakened  in  many  earnest  minds. 

Hut  important  nsults  were  at  once  manifest  in 
th«'  iiitlneiiceof  tin-  discussion  upon  the  two  chief 
champions.      Kck    ftdlowed    up    his    supposed 


PUBLIC   DEBATE.  63 

triumph  with  rcU^ntloss  ent'rpy.  IIo  attempted 
l>y  thitterv  of  C'arlstadt  to  win  him  from  the  suj)- 
port  of  Luther.  \lv  wrote  to  the  Kkrtor  Fred- 
critk,  expressiujr  re«;ret  tluit  he  had  hecn  com- 
pelled to  administer  sueh  a  erushin*^  defeat  to  a 
memher  of  the  hitter's  university,  and  admonish- 
in*;  him  to  hum  all  the  hooks  of  tlie  reckless  pro- 
fessor ujion  one  hea{).  To  Rome  he  sent  a  full 
report  of  Ids  great  achievement,  and  urp<'d  the 
Tope  to  j»rocee<l  vigorously  in  the  prose<ution  of 
the  heretic.  In  short,  we  must  from  this  time 
onward  regard  Kek  as  Luther's  most  bitter 
enemy. 

Luther  declared  tt)  his  friends  that  he  had  never 
heen  so  shamefully  treated  as  at  Leipzig.  He 
had  learned  to  regard  p]ck  with  contem|»t  for  Ins 
vanity  and  du])licity.  He  was  disgusted  with  the 
general  course  of  the  Dis]Hitation,  declaring  that 
it  had  a  had  heginning  and  a  worse  endini^  With 
only  one  feature  of  it  was  he  satislied,  namely,  the 
comparatively  full  di.^cussion  of  the  grounds  of 
the  ]»a]>al  auihority.  By  this  he  had  heen  diiv. u 
to  the  clearest  conviction  that  even  the  general 
councils  were  unreliable  and  to  take  his  stand 
-imply  u|)on  the  unassailahle  testimony  of  the 
Divine  ^\'ord  itself.  This  conviction  in  the  mind 
of  Luther  gave  a  new  direction  to  his  energies 
and  exerted  an  incalculahle  inlluencc  upon  the 
course  of  events.  It  was  the  great  achievement  of 
the  Leipzig  Dihputatiun. 


CTTAPTKn  VTTT. 


Ol'KN    KNMITY. 


The  encounter  at  Leipzig  gerved  to  fix  tlic 
gaze  of  multitudes  anew  upon  Lutlier.  It 
proved  that  he  could  not  only  assail  the  great 
errors  of  tlie  day  in  written  j)ropositions,  l»ut  that 
he  could  h(»ld  liis  own  in  free  discussion  with  tlie 
foremost  (U'l>ater  in  (ierinany.  The  very  to])ie 
whicli  Eek  liad  so  shrewdly  introduced  in  order 
to  entra])  his  anta«:onist,  /.  r. ,  the  supremacy  of 
the  I'ope,  prove<l  most  fruitful  in  lea(Hng  the  Re- 
former to  an  advanced  j)osition  of  hostihty  against 
thefundamental  principleof  the  Romish  hierarchy. 
Tlie  hattle  evidently  was  not  yet  closed,  hut  the 
pale  Wittcnherg  professor  now  stood  forth  to  the 
view  of  the  world  as  a  ^va^^io^  fully  armed  and 
eager  for  the  fray. 

During  the  three  years  which  followed,  he  was 
never  without  an  assailant,  and  the  heaping  of 
maledictions  U]>on  his  name  was  considered  the 
surest  way  to  ecclesiastical  jtrefernu  nt. 

In  April,  151.S,  a  large  convention  of  Fran- 
ciscan Monks,  held  at  Jiiterhog,  drew  up  formal 
charges  against  him  to  he  laid  hefori'  the  liishop 
of  Rrandenhurg.  accusing  him,  in  coarse  terms,  of 
heresy  upon  eight  articles  of  the  Catholic  faith. 
Luther  rehuk<*(l  their  presumption  and  threatened 
to  exjjose  their  ignorance  if  the  (jfrence  win-  re- 
peatecl,  l)ut  not  until  Kck  had  rushe«l  to  their  de- 
fence did  he  deign  to  make  a  formal  reply  to  the 
slanderous  attack. 

Jerome  Emser,  a  friend  of  Kck,  who  had  heen 
(Ol) 


OPEN    ENMITY.  65 

present  at  the  Lcijizi*:  Disputation,  jjulilished 
wliat  purjH)rt((l  to  l)e  a  frii-ndly  dcfrnce  of  Luther 
a^rainst  the  suspicions  of  synijiatliy  with  tlie  Bohe- 
mians awakened  l»y  his  championship  of  certain 
propositions  of  John  lluss.  It  was  really  a 
treacherous  attempt  to  brin<j:  upon  Luther  all  the 
odium  attachin*^  to  the  very  name  of  the  Bolic- 
mians  in  the  minds  of  the  common  jieople.  The 
coat-of-arms  of  Kmser,  an  ihex,  was  ])rinted  upon 
the  title  pa;je.  The  malice  and  hy]H)crisy  of  the 
j)uhlication  aroused  in  Luther  the  intensest  indi<^- 
nation,  and  lie  replied  with  lierci'  denunciation  in 
a  tract  entitU'd,  To  Kinsrr,  the  (loat,  proposing;  to 
Inmt  down  this  impertinent  l)east.  Emser  re- 
j)lied  with  coarse  slander,  calling  Luther  a  dog, 
and  Eck  soon  came  to  his  assistance  with  caustic 
comments  uj)on  Luther's  ridiculous  chase,  declar- 
ing that  the  latter,  with  only  a  few  ignorant  lay- 
men in  his  foll<>wing,  was  attemj>ting  to  over- 
whelm the  whole  body  of  the  intelligent  clergy. 
Eck  then  set  out  in  person  for  Rome,  there,  as 
Luther  said,  to  stir  up  the  al)yss  of  the  lower 
worM  against  liim. 

Within  a  very  short  period  nearly  all  the  uni- 
versities of  Germany  and  France  became  in- 
terest<'d  in  the  (|Uestions  at  issu(\  Realizing  only 
too  well  the  occasion  for  protest  against  theal)Uses 
of  the  day,  yet  wedded  to  the  traditional  doctrines 
and  dej)endent  largely  U])on  tlu'  favor  of  the  Rom- 
ish Church,  they  connnonly  avoidiMl  definite  ofli- 
eial  utterances.  In  August  and  Sei>tend)er,  1519, 
however,  the  universities  at  Cologne  and  Louvain 
formally  condemned  Luther's  works,  and  de- 
manded that  tiieir  author  be  forced  to  a  ])ublic  re- 
eantation.  Their  action  was  at  once  aj)prov(Ml  by 
Hadrian,  of  Tortosa,  the  chief  official  of  the 
Church  in  Sj)ain.  Luther  did  not  receive  a  copy 
5 


66  Ll'TIIEH,  THK    KKK<»1JMER. 

of  the  (liKiiinent  until  \\w  ftjlowing  March,  when 
he  n-pli*  (1  hrictly  ami  srornfully. 

Duke  George,  of  Saxony,  who  lieforc  the 
Lfipziu'  Disputation  had  hccn  (lisj»osc(l  to  give  the 
new  doctrines  at  least  a  fair  hearing,  hecanie  stjon 
afterward  a  determined  opponent,  and  in  Deceni- 
ix'r,  151U,  wrote  to  the  Elector  urging  him  to  Uike 
j)ronij)t  measures  to  free  himself  from  the  re- 
proach of  cherishing  heresy  in  his  domains. 

In  January,  1520,  the  Bishop  of  Misnia  is- 
sued a  decree  condenming  LuIIut's  demand  for  a 
restoration  of  the  cup  to  the  laity  in  the  celehra- 
tion  (^f  the  Lord's  Supj)er.  This  was  of  special 
signilicance  as  heing  the  first  otlicial  utterance  of 
a  (ierman  hishoj)  against  Luther.  He  replied 
vigorously,  refusing  to  acknowledge  the  document 
as  genuine,  attril>uting  it  to  some  suhordinate  offi- 
cial of  the  episcoj)al  residence  at  Stolpe,  and  as 
such  condemning  it. 

Meanwhile  a  defence  of  "the  apostolic  chair" 
apj>eare(l  in  Leipzig,  written  hy  a  Franciscan 
monk,  Augustine  of  Alveld.  It  was  weak  in 
argument,  and  as  it  was  written  in  Latin,  which 
only  the  educated  could  understand,  Luther  did 
not  regard  it  as  worthy  of  notice  until  it  appeare<l 
in  a  (Jerman  translation,  when  he  j)repared,  as  an 
antidote,  a  tract  for  the  ci^nnnon  |)eople  setting 
forth  the  nature  of  the  Church  as  the  invisihle  as- 
seml>ly  of  true  holievers,  all  of  whom  are,  hy  virtue 
of  their  (Christian  calling,  priests  hefore  (iod. 

IjUther's  ai)peal  from  tlie  Tope  and  his  re]>re- 
sentatives  to  a  general  c(»uncil  hrought  out  a  fresh 
attack  from  his  old  enemy  at  Rome,  Prierias,  in 
which  the  latter  reiterati'd  his  extravagant  views  of 
the  su|)reme  power  of  the  Pope.  Luther  scornfully 
repuhlished  tin*  entire  docununt,  with  a  few  run- 
ning (omments,  allowing  tlie  ridiculous  claims  of 
the  fanatiad  j)api.st  to  furnish  their  <»wn  refutation. 


(  Haiti:!!  ix 


\'i:ry  ]M'(\ili:ir  indeed  were  tlit'  ]KTsonaI  rdationR 
of  Frederick  the  Wise,  the  KIcttor  of  Saxony, 
with  his  iriTpressil>It' siil)jert.  Once  had  he  heard 
the  latter  i)reat'h.  He  read  liis  writings  with  deep 
interest,  aeeei)ted  the  fundamental  articles  of  his 
teaching,  communicated  with  him  frcijuently 
through  intermediaries,  sent  him  ])resenti<,  re- 
(juested  favors  of  him,  protected  him, — and  yet 
never  met  him  j)ersonalIy.  The  foremost  of  the 
j)rinces  of  Germany,  ruling  over  a  peoi>le  hound 
in  thraldom  to  the  existing  Church,  j)rovidentially 
placed  in  a  ])osition  t(M'onimand  the  greatest  con- 
sideration for  his  wishes  at  tlie  hand  of  hoth  Pope 
and  Emperor,  he  could  serve  Luther  and  the 
cause  of  evangelical  liherty  hest  hy  refraining  from 
puhlic  demonstrations  of  sympathy,  and  simply 
demanding  an  ojien  hearing  and  fair  treatment  for 
the  reputed  heretic.  Luther  aj)])reciated  the 
measure  of  favor  thus  granted  him  and  asked  no 
more.  He  trusted  the  honest  heart  of  his  sover- 
eign, hut  never  depended  uj)on  him  for  actual 
protection  against  his  enemies.  In  the  hour  of 
greatest  ])eril,  he  regarded  himself  rather  as  the 
protect<^)r  of  his  ])rince. 

A  few  weeks  heforcthe  Leii)zig  Disputation,  the 
University  of  Wittenherg  had  welcomed  as  ]>r<>- 
fessor  of  aiu-ieiit  languages,  etc.,  a  young  man  of 
reiii.irkahle  attainments  in  scholarship,  Philip 
Melanchthon  He  was  the  direct  eounteri>art  of 
Luther  in  physical  and  mental  endowments,  but 
(07) 


68  LUTHEK,  THE    UKFORMEK. 

of  an  t'fiiially  «arnest  and  trnth-loving  teni]KT. 
Kacli  at  iiwcv  n'cn«:nizt'<l  in  the  otliur  tlu'  (jualitics 
ncnltMl  to  siipplcnicnt  liis  own  (letkiencies,  and  a 
ht'autiful  friendship  wius  formed  which  endurc<l 
tlirough  life.  The  advanta^'e  to  Lutlier  of  havinj; 
constantly  at  his  right  hand  this  (piiet  and  pains- 
takin«;  student,  versfnl  in  the  current  lanj^uages  nf 
the  (lay  and  in  the  ancient  tonj^ues  nf  Seriptvn-e,  tlie 
master  of  a  clear  and  flowing  style  in  composition, 
sincerely  devotinl  to  the  tlefence  of  the  same  ])rin- 
ciples,  cannot  he  overestimated.  His  htri  Com- 
luuues,  forming  the  first  systematic  {jresentation  of 
the  doctrines  held  hy  the  Reformers,  was  pro- 
nounced hv  Luther  an  "insi)ired"  l)ook.  In 
Septcmher,  1519,  he  t(K)k  a  position  in  advance 
of  Luther  himself  in  holdly  declaring  that  the 
Komisli  doctrine  of  Transuhstantiation  (or  the 
actual  transformation  of  the  elements  in  the 
Lord's  Sup|»er  into  the  hody  and  hloinl  of  Christ) 
was  entirely  without  scrijjtural  warrant.  From 
this  time  forward  Melanchthon  clung  to  Luther, 
ren<hring  suhstantial  and  timely  aid  in  many  a 
conflict. 

The  hold  spirit  (»f  the  Uef(>rmer,  seconded  by 
the  amazing  talent  of  his  youthful  e(»-lal)or»r.  en- 
listed the  hearty  sympathy  of  the  Humanists, 
and  words  of  encouragement  flowed  in  upon  him 
from  distant  regions.  \\'ittt'n)»erg  was  nrognize*! 
as  a  centre  of  learning  as  well  as  of  i)iety,  and  it 
wa.s  of  immense  importance  that  the  "  IVireptor 
of  (Jermany"  shouhl  he  seen  not  only  in  hearty 
accord  with  its  chief  religious  teacher,  hut  humbly 
following  him  as  a  ]>lanet  follows  the  sun. 
Luther  ngoiced  in  all  this  sympathy,  hut  never 
for  a  moment  accommo<lated  his  own  earnest 
jiractieal  spirit  to  the  trifling  and  worldly  temper 
which    marked    the   leaders   of    the    Humanistic 


FRIENDS.     NKW    AM)    oLI).  69 

niovrnient.  I'liless  inspirrd  with  stiin«'tliiii«,'  of 
liis  rt4ij;ious  fervor,  they  could  not  wiilk  very  f:ir 
ill  his  c-onijumy.  With  him,  l«ari)iii<^  must  he 
tlie  han(hnai(l  of  reh^'ion. 

The  hirixe  dcmaml  for  the  writings  of  Lutlier, 
hoth  in  their  ori<;inal  form  and  in  transhxtions,  in 
France,  Knirland  and  Sj)ain,  attrstcd  the  rapid  in- 
rnase  in  tlie  numher  t)f  his  adherents  among 
the  intelligent  class  of  the  CIn-istian  worhl,  and 
llic  t  iilhusiasni  ol"  the  tl^'on.L^^  of  stu<ients  at  his 
<»\vn  University  liUed  him  witli  tlie  hriLditest  hopes 
Inr  the  re«5enerati(>n  of  his  heloved  Fatherland. 

The  true  character  of  John  Ihiss,  who  had  been 
hurned  as  a  heretic  in  1415,  now  becoming  known 
to  Luther  throui^h  the  study  of  his  works  and  in- 
tercourse with  i»rominent  men  amont?  his  followers, 
he  acknowh'd^M'd  that  he  had  himself  lon<:  been 
t«'aclnng  the  doctrines  of  lluss  without  knowing 
it.  He,  in  conse(iuence,  entered  into  the  friend- 
liest relations  with  the  Christians  of  Bohemia, 
who  welcomed  liim  as  the  successor  of  their 
lamented  leader. 

As  the  rage  of  his  enemies  increased,  Lutlier 
was  much  concerned  lest  his  course  should  prove 
injurious  to  the  interests  of  his  kind  jtatron,  the 
I'^leetor  Frederick,  and  he  fre<piently  thought  of 
withdrawing  from  Wittenberg  on  that  account. 
Yi\  \u-  f.lt  that  he  had  l>.cii  divinely  called  to  the 
work  in  which  he  was  engaged,  an<l  dare  not  sur- 
lender  it  without  the  clearest  indications  of  the 
will  of  (lod.  He  knew  that  he  would  be  cordially 
received  in  liohemia,  and  would  there  be  in  com- 
parative safety,  l)Ut  his  influence  in  Germany 
would  be  forfeited  were  he  to  acc(«pt  hospitality  in 
that  ([uarter.  Just  at  this  junctun',  two  fearless 
y"iin(_r  ( icrnian  nobles  eanie  to  hi<  aid.  Ulrich  von 
Hutten  and  Francis  von  Sickingen.     11  utten 


70  LrniKH,  THE  reformer. 

IkkI  in  Ill's  youth  Ix'on  ]»ln('<Ml  in  a  cloistor,  Init 
flTrrte<l  his  escape  from  the  tyranny  of  tlie  monks. 
He  visite<I  Koine  nj)on  several  oeeasions  and  was 
familiar  with  t]»ocorruj>ti«)n  which  there  ])revaile(l. 
Hein«:  present  at  tlie  Diet  of  Aup^hur^'  in  1518, 
and  hearin}.;  Cajetan's  contemj)tuoiis  reference  to 
the  stupid  CJennans,  he  resolved  tx)  cast  aside  all 
considerations  of  prudence  and  devote  himself  en- 
tirely to  the  work  of  arousing'  the  (ierman  Nohil- 
ity  to  an  uneomj»n»misin«:  resistance  of  the  ]>roud 
Italians.  In  l')17  he  had  puhlishe<l  a  treatise 
of  I>aurentius  Valla,  exposing  the  utterly  fraudu- 
lent eharacter  of  the  re])uted  "  Donation  of  Con- 
stantine,"  hy  whieh  that  emperor  was  said  to 
have  eonveyed  the  imperial  eontrol  of  the  western 
l>ortion  •»f  liis  domains,  or  the  ''  Roman  Empire 
of  the  (Ierman  Nation,"  to  the  Pope,  and  whieh 
was  relied  upon  as  the  hasis  of  the  ]>apal  authority 
in  (lermany.  Luther  was  amazed  lieyond  meas- 
ure to  discover  from  this  document  that  the 
hau<rhty  j»ower  which  had  for  centuries  heen  op- 
j>ressing  his  countrymen  was  founded  upon  a 
forgery,  and  he  set  him.self  at  once  to  the  tiu^k  of 
utterly  demolishing  the  entire  structure  of  the 
Tapacy  which  had  heen  erected  upon  this  sandy 
foundation.  Ilutton,  upon  his  ])art,  assured 
Luther  that  he  would  stand  hy  him  at  all  hazards. 
He  was  imfortunately  not  himself  in  ])osition  to 
he  of  much  practical  service,  hut  he  had  a  jM)wer- 
ful  ally  in  his  friend  Sickingen.  The  latter  was  a 
knight  of  abundant  nneans,  a  courageous  warrior, 
th(»  po.s.sessor  of  several  strong  fortresses,  and  a 
zealous  champion  of  the  i)olitical  rights  of  the 
(Ierman  States.  His  attention  having  h«-en  called 
lo  Luther's  perilous  situation,  ln»  in  January, 
I'j'JO,  cordially  invite«l  the  latter  to  accept  his 
hoHpiUility  ancJ  protection.     The  opening  of  this 


FKIKM)?!,     MOW    AM)    OLD.  71 

iinexpoctc<l  place  of  refuge  appeared  to  Lutlur 
providential,  and  greatly  cncoiiraj^ed  him.  He 
was  thus  enal)led  to  continue  his  l)(»ld  assauhs 
upon  tlie  i»apal  ini(|uities,  j>n'pan'<l  at  any  mo- 
ment to  retiri'  from  \\'ittenl)ert,'  and  still  prosecut(; 
liis  work  upon  (icnnan  soil,  sustainccl  hy  the  very 
foremost  of  his  country's  brave  defenders. 


rTTArTKPv  x. 


A    TIIJELI-iiS    TKN. 


Aftku  the  Lc'ipzijr  Disputation,  LutluT,  now 
tlnnoiiixhly  aroiisi'd,  ami  irritated  l»y  the  false 
reports  circulated  in  ri'<:ard  to  tlu'  course  of  the 
'lehate,  determined  to  carry  his  cause  before  a 
wider  trihunal.  He  tlien  fore  set  aluait  the  pre- 
paration of  a  series  of  Elucidations  (rci<ohtti(m€s) 
of  the  theses  which  he  had  maintained,  discussing 
at  th(^  same  time  one  or  two  important  doctrines 
not  tlien  t«Ki(hed  upon,  i.  e.,  justification  hy 
faitli  antl  the  im])urity  of  all  human  efforts.  He 
now  in  the  stronirest  terms  allirmed  that  the  Holy 
Scriptures  constitute  the  only  infallil>le  authority 
in  matters  of  faitli. 

In  the  sprin»:  of  lolH  appeared  his  Comment- 
ary upon  Galatians,  as  the  (>ut<i:rowth  of  his 
academic  lectures.  Knterinir  fully  into  the  spirit 
of  the  apostle,  he  declared  that  this  was  his  own 
ej)istle — that  he  was  wedded  to  it.  It  siH'nied  to 
him  to  have  Keen  written  exjjressly  for  the  ]>ur- 
pose  of  comhatini:  the  very  errors  then  ]>revalent 
in  the  Church.  With  i^lowinj^  earnestness,  he 
applied  its  doctrine  of  free  «^race,  and  traced  the 
fundamental  distinction  Ix'tween  the  demands  of 
tlie  Law  and  the  life-pvinj;  message  of  the  (iospel. 

Ahout  the  same  time,  he  hej^an  the  j>uhlication 
f  a  running  commentary  (modestly  entitled, 
■Lah(»rs'')  upon   the   Psalms,  seekini;  thus  to 
deepen  the  spirit  of  true  devotion  and   thankful- 
ness among  those  who  had  heen  delivered  fruiu 
the  bondage  of  idle  eeremonies. 
(72) 


A    TIKHLESS    PEN.  73 

In  Si'j)triul)(.'r,  r<.r(.iviii<x  word  of  ihr  st'iious 
illiu'ss  of  till'  Kk'ctor,  lie  j>roj)ar(Hl,  as  a  inessage 
of  comfort  which  ini^^lit  j)rove  tinu'ly  for  liis 
lionontl  friciul  and  lu'  hcljiful  to  others  in  similar 
distress,  one  of  the  most  strikinL'ly  orij^nnal  of  his 
compositions.  As  the  snpcrstitious  populace  were 
accustomed  to  call  upon  fourteen  special  saints  in 
time  of  trouhle,  he  desij;nates  his  tract  Tessara- 
dekas  (The  Fourteen),  and  depicts  the  comforts 
ot  the  Gosi>el  in  view  of  the  evils  that  threaten 
man  from  seven  directions,  i.  e.,  from  within, 
hefore,  behind,  heneath,  to  right,  to  left  and 
ahove,  and  then  dis])lays  the  manifold  blessings 
that  reach  us  from  the  same  directions,  last  and 
chi«f  amon<r  which  is  Christ  Himself. 

In  May,  1'>L*().  aj^peand  an  exhaustive  disser- 
tation ujton  "Good  Works,"  which  vividly  por- 
trayc<l  the  necessity  of  faith  as  the  basis  of  all 
Christian  activity,  and  as  the  never-failing  motive 
lor  the  cheerful  fulfilment  of  every  duty  devolving 
upon  the  child  of  (iod.  It  was  a  complete  vindi- 
cation of  the  Evangelical  doctrines  against  the 
charge  of  encouraging  the  neglect  of  moral  obliga- 
tions. Yet  how  different  these  works  of  faith 
from  the  slavish  exercises  by  which  multitudes 
were  vainly  seeking  to  merit  the  favor  of  Cod! 

lUit  the  course  (»f  evmts  was  rai>idly  l»earing 
the  Reformer  on  to  bolder  utterances.  Within 
the  closing  months  of  the  year  lo'iO,  he  gave  to 
the  j)ress  the  three  documents  which  are  by  com- 
mon consent  acknowledged  as  his  gn^atest  reform- 
atory ])ublications.  These  are  entirely  distinct  in 
character,  full  of  life  and  (lurgy,  and  together 
cover  the  whole  Held  of  nee<led  reformation — in 
secular  alTairs,  in  the  administration  of  the  ordi- 
nances of  the  Churcli,  and  in  the  conce])tion  of 
the  individual  Cliristiaii  life. 


74  M'TIIKU,   THE    IlKFnKMKU. 

Tho  lirst  of  these  was  tlu*  Address  to  the 
Nobihty  of  the  (lerinan  Nation.  Many  cin  inn- 
stanccs  had  conjliiniMl  to  stir  the  national  ft'cHnj^ 
in  CJennany.  T\\v  pnlitical  etunphcations  nsuU- 
ing  from  the  constant  interference  of  Uonum 
le^'ates,  their  (h'niand  for  money  to  carry  on  tlie 
supposiMl  tlireatenin*;  war  witli  tlie  Tnrks.  tlie 
ecclesiastical  taxes  exacted  upon  all  manner  ai 
])retexts — were  holdly  denounced  hv  many  of  the 
most  inlluential  knightti  of  the  reahn.  Luther 
now,  impelled  hy  a  deej)er  motive  to  resist  in 
evrry  way  the  sacrilc^nous  pretensions  of  the 
])apacy,  ^'ave  free  sco|h'  to  his  j)atriotic  instincts. 
He  calls  upon  all  the  Xohlesof  the  land,  including 
the  Kmi»eror  himself,  to  recognize  the  sacre<lness 
of  their  hiirh  ollices,  and  holdly  espouse  the  cause 
of  the  people  jiLMinst  their  foreipi  opprt^ssors.  He 
notes  '*  three  walls"  of  defence  with  which  the 
papists  had  fortified  their  modern  Jericho:  first, 
the  claim  of  se<iular  supremacy;  secondly,  the  sole 
ri^ht  of  the  Po]>e  to  interpret  the  Scriptures; 
thirdly,  the  assertion  that  (►nly  the  Pope  can  call 
a  general  council  of  the  Church.  He  himself 
demolish(S  these  walls  with  a  few  stirring  hlasts 
upon  the  trumpet  of  the  divine  \\'ord,  and  then 
urges  the  Nobility  to  assert  their  (Jod-given  rights, 
summon  a  general  council,  and  address  themselves 
in  earnest  to  the  work  of  reformation.  He  th^n 
j»resents  a  catalogue  of  crying  ]>olitical  and  social 
ahuses  of  the  <lay,  denouncing  them  in  {ho  scath- 
ing languag«>  of  intens(»st  ])assion.  The  cfTeot  was 
ind<scril>al)le.  The  Address  was  at  once  the  suh- 
jei't  of  discussion  in  every  handet.  Multitutles  who 
cared  hut  little  for  the  religious  <|Uestions  of  the 
day  rallie<l  around  the  standard  of  Lutlier.  hailing 
him  as  the  coming  deliverer  of  their  fatherland. 

But   Luther  was  alreadv  occupied   in  ani»thcr 


A   TIKKLESS    PEN.  75 

(liroction.  It  was  the  Cluinli,  after  all,  that  lay 
nearest  to  liis  h<*art,  and  he  utters  a  hitter  lain<'ntn- 
tion  over  the  Babylonian  Captivity  which  has 
rolihed  even  her  sacred  ordinances  of  th<ir  power 
to  hlcss  the  hnnihle  followei*s  of  ("lirist.  lie 
hewails  a  three-fohl  hondajre  in  which  the  ll««lv 
Supper  is  held:  first,  the  withholdinir  of  one- 
half  of  the  sacrament — the  euji — from  tlu^  laity; 
siH'ondly,  the  ahsurd  doctrine  of  transuhstantia- 
tion;  thirdly,  the  impigus  transformation  of  the 
simj)le  feast  of  love  into  tlie  saerifiec  of  the  nias8. 
The  discussion  here  hnids  liim  to  assail  the  very 
f<»un<lations  of  thi*  Roman  ('ath<»lic  system.  Ilav- 
inir  heard  that  he  is  to  Ix^  very  shortly  summont^l 
to  reiant,  under  ]>enalty  (^f  excomnnmication,  lie 
mockiuLdy  ofTers  this  fresh  assault  as  the  beginnin<^ 
of  his  recantation. 

Amid  the  storm  of  invective  wliich  now  poured 
ui>on  him,  and  the  new  perils  to  which  he  was  ex- 
j)osed  hy  the  publication  ai  the  bull  of  exeomnni- 
nication,  Luther  was  unruflle<l  in  his  joyous  con- 
fidence in  Go(l.  Havinir  smitten  the  enemy,  he 
now  tvu'ns  to  the  more  con<;enial  task  of  dejiictini,' 
the  bh^sscdness  of  the  true  believer.  His  Lib- 
erty of  a  Christian  Man,  apjKarinjr  in  Novem- 
ber, is  a  })n-t<nind  portraiture  of  the  hi«;her  s]»ir- 
itual  life  which  lifts  above  the  cares  of  earth  and 
releases  from  slavish  fear  of  the  Law.  It  thus 
met  directly  the  <leepest  religious  longings  of  the 
age.  The  author  fonvarded  a  co])y  to  the  Po])e, 
ac<-om]>anying  it  with  a  letter  expressing  personal 
regard  for  the  character  of  Leo. 

A  larg<'  number  of  tracts  upon  practical 
themes  were  given  to  the  )»ress  during  the  years 
ni»w  under  consideration,  discussing  in  vigorous 
(lerinan  the  defective  and  o])pressive  marriage 
laws,    usury,   private  confession,    preparation  for 


76  LITIIEH,   TIIK    l:KK(HiMKU. 

(Icjitli,  tlir  projH-r  iisr  of  tlic  sacraiiu'iits,  etc.  A 
su^jji'stinii  from  tlu-  l']l<  <  tnr  led  t<»  the  jMcj.anition 
ot  a  sirii's  of  jMijuilar  discourses  upon  the  peri- 
copes,  or  ajtjtointnl  scriptural  nadin^s  for  each 
Sunday  in  tlu-  year,  in  which  liis  fervent  (hvo- 
tional  si)irit  found  scope  for  exercise  and  which 
attained  a  wide  circulation. 


CHAITKK  Xr. 


THK    r.Vl'AL    lU  LL. 


Almost  t'lcvcn  years  liiul  ('la])S('(l  after  the  Leip- 
21*1  Disputation  wImmi,  <m  June  loth,  l.")2(),  tlic 
l(>ii<i  tlinatineil  Bull  of  Excommunication  was 
issued  at  Rtnnc.  A-  its  prcitaiation  liad  Ixcn  cu- 
trusti'd  to  Luther's  hitterest  enemies,  ineludin*^ 
tlie  relentless  Kek,  it  laeked  nothin*,'  in  severity  of 
tone.  Starting  with  an  impious  ap])cal  to  the 
offended  majesty  of  the  Lord,  it  invokes  His  aid 
and  that  of  Peter,  Paul  and  all  the  saints  against 
the  wild  l»east  that  has  heen  devastating  the  vine- 
yard. It  l»rands  forty-one  of  his  Theses  as  ''  heret- 
ical, false  or  ctfTensive,"  condemns  them  all,  and 
orders  that  all  his  hooks  he  })urned  wherever 
found.  Sixty  days  were  allowed  to  him  and  his 
adherents  for  recantation,  under  penalty  of  final 
excommunication.  All  faithful  suhjects  of  the 
Church,  secular  and  ecclesiastical,  are  summoned 
to  use  their  utmost  efforts  to  j)lace  the  person  of 
the  stubborn  heretic  in  the  i)Ower  of  the  Pojm\ 

To  Eek  was  assigned  the  task  (►f  ])romulgating 
the  fateful  document  in  (iermany;  but  the  zealous 
eiTorts  of  the  willing  emissary  served  liut  to  reveal 
the  amazing  revulsion  of  feeling  whicli  had 
already  l)een  effected  among  the  once  submissive 
(lermans.  Many,  enlightened  by  the  writings  of 
Luther  himself,  utterly  denied  the  authority  of 
the  Pope  in  the  premises,  (ierman  patriots  were 
lille<l  with  fiery  indignation  at  this  attempt  to 
condemn  a  fellow-countryman  without  a  hearing. 
The  extravagant  language  of  the  document  and 
(77  ) 


78  Ll'THKU,  TIIK    HKFOUMEH. 

the  t'inplovment  of  a  personal  enemy  in  its  jironiul- 
piition  jjavi'  cxiusi'  for  qiK-stionini^  its  ;:enuiiu'i  11*88. 
Tlio  pi'oplf  scornfully  talkd  it  ''Kok's  Hull/' 
LuIIkt,  in  a  stirring  tract,  sunnnono<l  llii'  Kinpemr 
aiul  i)rinc'eii  to  resent  the  impertinent  presumption 
of  this  'MUill  of  Antichrist."  On  Nov.  17th,  he 
drew  uj),  and  immediately  i)ul>lish( d  in  Latin  and 
(Jernian,  a  renewal  of  his  appeal  to  a  general 
council,  denouneinp:  the  Pope  as  an  unjust  judge, 
a  ht  rriie,  an  anti-Christian  opponent  »>f  tin-  Holy 
Scriptures,  and  a  despiser  of  the  true  Chun  li. 

It  was  not  until  Si'ptend>er  that  the  publica- 
tion of  the  Bull  in  (lermany  was  actually  hegun, 
encountering  then  almost  universal  oj)pni;ition. 
Th»'  j)aj»al  legate,  Aleander,  secured  autliority  from 
the  Kmjxror  for  the  hurningof  the  hooks  of  Luther 
in  the  Netherlands.  Luther  nspnnded  hy  j)uh- 
licly  casting  to  the  frames  the  l)ull,  and  with  it 
the  entire  hody  of  the  papal  laws,  amidst  the 
wild  jul>ilati(tn  (tf  the  stutleiits  <>f  the  Univei-sity. 

The  battle  was  now  joined  in  earnest. 
Luther  was,  indi'cd,  surroimded  hy  friends.  His 
own  i)rince,  the  Elector  Frederick,  though  care- 
fully avoiding  any  public  endorsement  of  Ids 
t<'a('hing,  c(>uld  he  relied  U])on  to  demand  at  least 
the  ordinary  forms  of  justice  in  the  treatment  of 
his  loyal  sul»ject;  l»ut  even  lie  could  n«»t  perma- 
nently resist  the  mandate  of  his  superiors. 

^^'ith  the  keenest  anxiety  all  eyes  were  now 
turned  upon  the  young  I'anperor,  Charles  V. 
The  latter  was  indebted  for  his  im})erial  crown  in 
no  small  degree  to  the  suj)i)ort  of  the  (icrman 
princes,  and  it  was  fondly  hoped  that,  U])on 
fuller  information,  he  would  ]>rove  a  valiant  de- 
fender of  at  lea.st  tht»  political  rights  of  the  op- 
pressed (iermans.  which  now  found  their  boldest 
advocate  in  the  monk  of  Wittenberg. 


ClIAITKi;  XII 


THK    in;i;<»   AT   \\(U:.Ms. 


.\«  <()i;i)iN(;  to  tlic  ]K\\K\\  tlicnry,  it  was  \]\v  duty 
of  the  Emperor  to  iisc  all  his  power  in  the  sup- 
pression of  heresy.  A  hull  of  excommunieatiou 
should  he  followed  hy  the  nnieh-dreaded  Han  of 
the  lMnj)irc.  To  secure  this  was  now  the  chief 
aim  of  the  new  jtapal  le<:ate,  the  unscrui»ulous 
and  tireless  Aleandcr. 

The  Emperor  cared  little  for  the  reli«iious  dis- 
putes of  the  day,  and  had  no  sympathy  with  the 
national  feeling  of  his  (Jerman  suhjeet,«.  Trained 
as  a  zealous  Roman  Catholic  in  Spain,  he  would 
under  ordinary  circumstances  have  Siicriliced 
Luther  without  hesitancy  at  the  hidding  of  the 
r<  »])••.  He  now,  however,  resolved  to  make 
political  capital  out  of  the  discontent  of  (ler- 
niany.  He  was  himself  just  at  this  juncture  very 
desirous  of  securin<^  some  concessions  fn^n  the 
l'o|)e,  which  the  latter  was  little  disi)osed  to  ;^q'ant. 
Presuming  that  he  could  at  any  time  quiet  the 
rising  storm,  he  refused  therefore  to  speak  the 
word  of  command,  and  even  fanned  the  ihunv  of 
hostility  toward  the  ])a|)acy. 

In  accordance  with  this  ]>olicy,  he  on  Nov. 
2>>th  sent  a  message  to  the  Elector  Frederick, 
requesting  him  to  liring  his  Wilteiilx  ig  i»rofes.-<tr 
with  him  to  tlu'  Diet  soon  to  asseml)le  at  Worms. 
This  <»rder  was,  however,  upon  the  urgency  of  the 
j»apal  party,  afterwards  n  voked. 

On  Feh.  l.'Jth,  Aleander,  presented  to  the 
l>iet  an  ollicial   connnunication  from   the   I'ope, 


80  LlTllKK,   THK    KKFOlOIER, 

callin.;  upon  tlio  Kinpcror  and  prinros  of  the 
realm  to  at  oner  take  iiu'asurt's  to  make  the  second 
and  linal  Jiull  aj^ainst  the  Reformer  (issue<l  in 
January)  ofTeetive.  The  ap])eal  was  supported  hy 
tlie  lejrate  in  a  wily  oration  throe  hours  in  len«,'th, 
in  whieh  he  traced  the  resemblanee  of  Luther's 
teaehini^  to  that  of  the  hated  I^)hemians,  and 
emphasized  his  reji'ction  not  only  of  the  papal 
supremacy,  hut  of  the  final  Jiuthority  of  a  general 
e«>uncil  :us  well.  As  desii^ned,  this  addri'ss  alien- 
ated from  Luther  not  a  few  who  sympathized  with 
him  in  his  assaults  upon  the  papacy,  hut  who 
still  regarded  the  general  councils  as  infallible  and 
as  their  only  resource  for  the  correction  of  griev- 
ances. The  Emperor,  who  had  meanwhile  se- 
cured the  desired  favors  at  the  hands  of  the  I^ojjc, 
expressed  himself  as  now  ready  to  meet  the  desire 
of  the  latt-r,  and  accordingly  laid  before  the  Diet 
the  draft  of  an  edict,  condemning  the  books  of 
Lutiier  and  onlering  his  arrest. 

After  a  heated  discussion,  which  almost  led  to 
l)lo\vs,  it  wjus  reported  to  tlie  Emperor  that  such 
a  course  wouM  produce  disturbance  throughout  all 
(lerraany,  and  lu;  w;us  n^iuested  to  allow  Luther 
the  privilege  of  publicly  recalling  his  heretical 
utterances.  Shoul  I  he  do  this,  it  was  hinted  that 
it  might  be  well  to  hear  his  views  "upon  other 
pcjints,"  i.  g.,  upon  national  questions.  To  this 
the  Emperor  agrce(l,  and  a  courteous  sunnnons 
w:ls  at  once  forwarded  to  the  Reformer,  assuring 
hitn  "safe  conduct"  to  and  from  the  Diet.  The 
papists  were  enraged,  but  helpless. 

Luther  promptly  decided  to  obey  the  call. 
Hearing  that  he  woidd  be  expected  to  recant, 
he  sai<L  "This  shall  be  my  n  «aiitation:  I  ba\e 
said  that  the  Pojx'  is  the  representative  of  Christ 
(on  earth);  this  I  now  recall,  and  declare  that  the 


Tin:    IIKKO    AT    won  MS.  81 

Popo  is  tlie  eiR'iny  of  Christ  and  an  einissarv  <>f 
tlu' devil." 

On  Aj)iil  '2d,  after  cnniplttini:  an  uneoinjtromis- 
in«;  rejoinder  to  the  pamphlet  of  an  a.^sailant, 
Catharinus,  lie  set  out  upon  the  journey,  pre- 
cecknl  l)y  the  iini)erial  lierald,  and  ^Mcetrd  on 
every  hand  l>y  jireat  thron;:s  of  his  fellow-country- 
men. Received  with  enthusiasm  at  Krfurt,  he 
reniained  there  over  Sunday,  and  j)reached  a  fer- 
vent sermon  U])on  the  text:  "Peace  he  uuio 
you.''  Just  as  the  party  drew  near  to  Worms, 
tliere  was  puhUshed  an  edict  forl)idding  the  dis- 
semination of  the  books  of  Luther  and  tlius 
clearly  indieatinj^  the  temi)er  c)f  the  monarch. 
In  face  of  this,  even  the  herald  hesitat<'d  to  ad- 
vance. S])alatin,  the  Elector's  cha]»Iain,  sent  a 
warning',  |)ointin^'  to  the  fate  of  Huss.  But  the 
dauntless  cham}>ion  of  the  truth  replied:  *'I 
would  enter  \\'orms,  thoutdi  there  were  as  many 
devils  there  as  tiles  uj>on  tlie  roofs  of  the  houses." 

In  the  streets  of  the  city  he  was  met  l)y  a 
cavalcade  of  ]>rominent  pcrsonaj^es  and,  sur- 
rounded hy  a  thronj?  of  two  thousand  of  the 
jjopulace,  conducted  to  his  inn.  As  he  alighted 
from  his  carriage  he  ferventlv  ejaculated:  "(lod 
will  l>e  with  me." 

On  tlie  next  day,  A]>ril  17th,  he  wai*  summoned 
before  the  Diet.  It  was  a  notahle  a.ssendtly — 
the  Kmperor,  six  electoral  princes,  whole  ranks  of 
the  lower  nohility  of  (lermany,  and  an  imposing' 
array  of  ))apal  ollicials.  Luther  fully  appnriated 
the  jrravity  of  the  occasijjn  and  at  first  appeared 
overawed.  He  was  tohl  that  he  was  merely  to 
answer  two  questions  :  first,  whether  ho  was 
the  author  of  certain  hooks,  whose  titles  were 
read  to  him;  and  secondly.  wh<ther,  if  ho,  he 
was  willing  to  recall  their  content^.  To  the  finst 
6 


(jiu^tion  lie  replied  in  the  afTirmativc.  As  the 
-econd  was  of  siieh  iinportanee,  he  rcHiuestwl  that 
a  sliort  time  he  j^ranted  him  for  the  j)rei)aration 
of  his  answer — a  favor  which  was  rehutantly 
jranted. 

W'lien  recalled  late  on  the  fnllowinj;  day,  he 
was  asked:  ''  Do  you  defend  all  of  y«)ur  hooks,  or 
ire  you  willing;  to  recall  some  thinj^s. '*  Adapting 
his  nply  («;iven  in  Latin)  to  the  new  form  nf  the 
question,  he  deelared  that  some  of  his  hooks  are 
purely  devotional  in  eharaeter,  and  commended 
even  hy  liis  enemies.  The  second  class  of  his 
writiuL's  are  those  directed  ajjainst  the  corruptions 
of  the  papacy:  to  re<"all  these  would  hut  jrive  en- 
coura«;ement  to  that  horrihle  tyranny.  The  third 
class  consists  of  his  j)ul>lii'ations  a«rainst  individ- 
uals. In  these  he  confessed  to  have  sometimes 
used  intemperate  lan<;ua;ie.  The  doctrines  tau«;ht 
in  these  he  is  willing;  to  recall  whenever  refuted  l)y 
(  itations  from  the  projdiets  or  evan<,'elists.  He 
( losed  with  an  eloquent  and  fearless  appeal  to 
tlic  Kmjtcror  and  ])rinccs  to  nuct  hravi  ly  the  re- 
-])onsil)i]ity  which  (iod  ha«l  laid  upon  them. 
I  pon  re<juest,  the  response  w;is  repeated  in  (ier- 
man.  The  papal  spokesman,  after  consultation, 
j»ronounced  the  reply  of  Luther  irrelevant,  de- 
clared that  a  refutation  of  his  teachin«:s  was  un- 
necessary, as  they  had  heen  already  condemned 
hy  the  Council  of  Constance,  and  demanded  a 
plain,  direct  answer  to  th(»  ijuestion  whether  he 
Would  recant  or  not.  Ki>in;i  to  the  luiiiht  of  the 
'•ccasion,  he  then  uttered  the  immortal  words. 

"  I'nh'ss  convinced  hy  the  testimony  of  Scrip- 
ture or  evident  reasons  (for  I  trust  neither  the 
I'ojie  nor  councils  alone,  since  it  is  certain  that 
they  have  often  ern'd  and  contradicted  thein- 
ttcivesj,   I  am  hound    hy  my  own    writinirs,    as 


THE    IIKKO    AT    WoKMS.  »3 

C'it('<l,  and  my  conscienro  is  IkUI  ('aj)tivc  by  tlie 
Word  (»f  (iod.  Hccant  I  ncitluT  can  nor  will, 
since  it  is  unsafe  and  dislioiust  toad  ;i  ,'aiiist  (•(►n- 
sciencc.  *  *  I  cannot  do  otherwise.  Here  I 
stand.     So  help  me  God!     Amen." 

In  the  midst  of  tlie  tmipt-st  that  cnsiir*!,  the 
Emperor  rose  and  dissolved  the  Diet.  Summon- 
ing the  meml)ers  attain  very  early  the  next  morn- 
ing, he  expressed  his  regret  at  having  t^o  long 
juirleyed  with  the  contumaeicnis  monk,  and  de- 
clared his  )»urpose,  after  returning  the  latter  to 
WittrnhtTg  according  to  his  i)ledge,  to  at  once 
proceed  to  final  measures  against  him. 

Movetl  in  j>art  hy  sympathy,  more  largely  hy 
fears  of  insurrection,  the  I)iet  ]»leadcd  for  delay, 
in  order  to  elTect,  if  i)ossible,  some  compromise. 
The  Emperor  granted  a  respite  of  three  days. 
Now  it  was  that  the  fortitude  of  Luther  was  most 
severely  tested.  A  large  commission  of  prom- 
inent officials  known  to  he  kindly  disj)osed  to- 
ward him  was  app(»inted  hy  tlie  Diet.  For  days 
these  men  j»leaded  with  him,  exhausting  all  their 
skill  in  endeavoring  to  shake  his  resolution.  They 
waived  entiri'ly  the  point  of  submission  to  tlu* 
pope,  and  implored  him  to  suhnnt  his  writings 
without  reserve  to  the  judgment  of  a  general 
council — as  he  had  once  been  willing  to  do. 
They  argue<l  that  bloodshed  would  thus  be  ])re- 
vented;  that  (piite  a  time  must  elaj)se  before  such 
a  council  could  !)<•  assembled,  and  that  the  delay 
would  l)e  favorai»l(;  to  his  cause;  that  tin*  very 
calling  of  a  council,  in  face  of  the  (oiidemnation 
already  pronounce(l  by  tlie  Tope,  would  be  a 
great  victory  for  him;  and  that  its  decisions  would 
in  all  ]irobal>ility  i»e  in  his  favor.  JUit  in  vain! 
Luther  was  willing  to  submit  his  writings  to  any 
candid   tni»unal,    but    insist<'d   that    \\\vy  and  all 


84  LITIIKH,  THK    HKFOUMER. 

Jiuinan  (locuindits  must  l)o  finally  tosti'd  l>y  llic 
Word  of  God  alone.  Upon  this  ])rin(ipio  he 
sjtakr«l  lifi-  and  all,  K'aviiii;  tin-  results  with  (Io«l. 

Hut  what  would  now  become  of  Luther,  was 
the  «jUt'stion  upon  every  han«l.  Kven  th(»uj;h  the 
jiKnlLie  of  safe-eon<luet,  violated  in  the  ease  of 
lluss,  should  now  be  faithfully  kept,  it  would 
(  xpiiT  within  twenty-one  tlays  Should  he  then 
l»e  left  ut  the  mercy  of  Ins  foes? 

A  plan  was  soon  perfected.  Luther  started  off 
amid  the  j)laudits  of  his  friends.  After  some 
days'  travel  the  imperial  fruard  was  dismissed. 
As  the  eoaeh  in  which  he  rode  with  his  traveling 
companion  from  the  monastery  and  his  friend, 
Amsdorf,  was  j)assing  throuj^h  a  shaded  roa<l  in 
the  forest,  a  hand  of  horsemen  suddenly  fell  upon 
them.  The  monk,  territied,  was  alloweil  to  es- 
cajK'.  Amsdorf  made  a  show  of  noisy  resistance 
for  a  tim<',  and  was  then  suffered  to  proceed  with 
the  fri^rlitened  coachman.  Luther  was  led  hy  a 
circuitous  route  to  the  Wartburg,  a  strong  castle 
overlooking:  the  town  of  l'j-«  ikh  li. 

Meanwhile,  the  ban  of  the  Empire  was  pro- 
nounce<l.  The  severest  pi  nalties  were  threatened 
to  any  person  who  should  harbor  the  outlaw,  or 
^dve  him  food  or  drink.  Every  faithful  subject 
was  connnanded  to  aid  in  arresting  him  antl  send- 
ing him  to  the  Km])eror.  His  books  were  to  be 
burned  and  their  printing  forever  interdicted. 
The  language  of  the  document  was  certainly  suf- 
lieiently  vigorous,  but  not  unwillingly  doi'S  tin* 
j.en  of  history  record  the  facts, — that  it  harmed 
no  nne,  that  it  was  the  last  of  its  kind  ever  pr<»- 
mulgated,  and  that  its  dark  anathemas  can  to-<lay 
be  deciphered  only  in  tin*  radiance  rellected  from 
the  name  of  ittf  intended  victim. 


PERIOD  m. 


PRACTICAL  REFORMATION.    A.  D.  1521-1546. 


CIIAPTKPv  I. 
Tin-:  WAKTHruc  kxilk. 

Tin-:  sikMcu  disai^poanmre  of  Lutlier  awakened 
intense  feeling  thnnij^diout  Germany.  Many  at 
once  coneludi'd  tliat  he  had  heen  murdered.  The 
shrewd  Aleander  surmised  tlie  truth,  and  re})orted 
to  Rome:  "The Saxon  fox  has  hidden  the  monk." 
Very  effect ually  was  he  concealed,  his  nearest 
friends  havin,^  for  a  lon*^  time  no  certain  knowl- 
edge of  his  j)laee  of  refuir*'.  Tlie  Kmperor  and 
liis  advisers,  fully  (»ceui)ie(l  with  the  political  dilli- 
culties  surrounding,'  them,  made  no  serious  attem})t 
to  capture  the  fugitive,  hein<;  satisfied  to  have,  as 
they  supposed,  imposed  silence  upon  him. 

For  the  Reformer  him.self  the  cham^e  of  sur- 
roundin«rs  was  exhilarating.  For  the  lirst  time  in 
Ijis  life  he  now  lived  in  ease  and  luxury.  lie 
roame(l  through  the  cai)acious  grounds  of  the  cas- 
tle overlooking  his  heloved  Eisenach,  gatliering 
berries  in  the  woods  and  listening  to  the  warhhng 
of  the  hirds.  Attired  as  a  knight,  with  sword 
by  Ids  side  and  a  goliUn  chain  al)out  his  neck,  he 
rode  at  will  with  his  valet  through  the  neighbor- 
ing villages,  greatly  enjoying  the  humor  of  the 
sHuatiun.  Occasionallv  he  joined  in  the  chase, 
(85) 


86  LUTIIKU,   Tin:    HKFOHMEK. 

l»ut  accoiinti'*!  it  ponr  sport.  His  syinpatliios 
NViTe  all  with  tlic  ])onr  hunted  harc^,  wliich  scnncd 
to  liini  a  picture  of  thi'  pt-i-sti-utecl  Christians  of 
the  day,  while  tlic  cruel  hounds  were  cardinals 
and  hishops.  lie  would  rather  liave  hunted  the 
ht-ars  and  wolves  that  were  devastating  the 
Church.  Thus  even  his  diversi(»ns  were  con- 
-lantly  made  to  furnish  illustrations  and  su*r<rcs- 
ii«»ns  for  the  great  w<»rk  in  which  his  whole  soul 
was  enlisted. 

JJitterly  does  he  lament  his  enforced  "idle- 
ness;" yet  he  was  always  busy.  \\  ith  no  hooks 
at  hand  hut  his  (Ireek  and  llehrcw  Bihles,  heat 
once  addressed  himself  to  earnest  work,  and 
within  three  weeks  had  several  important  docu- 
ments well  under  way.  lie  completed  his  com- 
mentary upon  the  "  Magnificat,"  sendini:  it  to 
the  puhlisher  early  in  June.  This  had  heen  pre- 
criled  l>y  an  exposition  of  Psalm  Ixviii..  which 
hreathed  the  sj»irit  of  triumjihant  joy,  and  consti- 
tuted one  of  the  j)roft>undest  of  all  his  writings 
upon  the  experience  of  Christ. 

With  im]>atienc(\  hut  with  unsparinix  severity, 
In-  replied  to  various  publications  of  his  ad- 
versaries, who  were  appalled  to  (ind  that  the  ex- 
communicated and  outlawed  monk  was  as  terrihle 
in  exile  as  when  holding  his  seat  of  honor  in  the 
University. 

Among  the  positive  results  of  thc<piiet  hours  of 
rellection  in  his  "  Patmos,"  was  a  clear  conviction 
upon  the  suhjtHi't  of  monastic  vows.  He  had 
long  lield  that  the  enforced  celihacy  of  the  priests 
was,  according  to  1  Tim.  iv.  1,  a  doctrine  of 
devils;  hut  the  vows  of  monks  and  nuns,  having 
heen  voluntarily  assumed,  appeared  to  him  to  ho 
of  hinding  force.  H<'  felt  that  their  results  were 
evil,   and   longed  to  break  the  yoke  of  bondage 


Tin:    WARTHUKCJ    KXILK.  87 

uikKt  wliifli  so  many  thoupands  were  proaninpj; 
yet  he  wouUl  not  countenance  wront^  nor  advance 
a  sinj^le  step  without  clear  scnptural  authority. 
The  ar«;unient8  adduced  l)y  Carlstadt  and  Mr- 
lanelithon  seemed  to  liim  insullicient.  At  h'n«:th 
he  found  an  adequate  ground  for  tlie  ahrogation 
of  these  vows  in  the  mistaken  views  with  whicii 
they  had  l)een  assumed.  They  were  regarded  as 
works  of  merit — a  means  of  <^ainiii<:  tlic  favor  of 
(lod — and  were  lience  directly  opposed  to  the 
gospel  plan  of  salvation  hy  faith.  Heini;  oj»poscd 
to  tlic  (Josprl,  they  were  sinful  and  could  have  no 
hindiuix  authority. 

For  Luther,  to  see  the  truth  was  to  he  resistlessly 
impelled  to  announce  it  heforc  the  world.  With 
no  regard  for  the  ]Kissil)le  consecpicncc^s,  his  calm, 
logical  argument  is  hurled  as  an  emancipation 
proclamation  from  the  castle  walls.  On  every 
hand,  convent  doors  are  thrown  open,  and  the 
entire  structvue  of  monasticism  is  doomed. 

The  Komish  priesthood  had  long  maintained  its 
hold  U])on  the  masses  through  an  unscru])ulous 
use  of  the  confessional.  It  soon  hecame  known 
that  this  secret  agency  was  being  employed  to 
warn  the  multitudes  against  the  arch-heretic,  and 
to  command  them,  under  ]>enalty  of  eternal  death, 
to  destroy  his  writings.  To.counteract  this  scheme, 
the  great  father-confessor  of  awakened  (iermany 
i.'^sued  his  Instruction  for  the  Confessing. 
He  did  not,  as  some  others,  advocate  the  aholitiMii 
of  the  custom  of  auri<'ular  confession,  as  he  re- 
gard<'d  it,  when  rightly  <'mploy«Ml,  as  a  valuable 
means  of  consohng  and  strengthening  the  weak. 
He  insi.sted  only  that  it  should  he  purely  volun- 
tary, and  that  every  Christian  layman  was  em- 
powered to  conduct  it,  sinc<'  its  authority  was 
derived  not  from  the  station  of  the  administrant, 


MS  MTHKU,   TIIK    KEKOHMEH. 

l»iit  soK'ly  fmni  tin*  divine  words  of  pardon  wliidi 
it  announciil  to  the  pi-nitcnt.  Thus  concciv(*d, 
till'  ordinance  was  (le|>rive<l  entirely  of  its  vahie 
to  the  hierarchy  a.s  a  means  of  terrifying  and  con- 
trolling the  masses.  In  this  form,  it  has  continucnl 
in  the  Clinrch  to  the  ])resent  day,  exci'pt  where 
siipplante*!  hy  the  general  confession  of  the  "  pre- 
paratory service." 

With  amazement  I^nther  now  learned  that  the 
('ardiiial-areh)>ishop,  All)rei']jt  of  Mayenee,  the 
former  patron  of  Tetzel,  had  hej^un  the  sale  of  in- 
dulgences upon  a  irrand  scale  at  llalle.  That  the 
foremost  e<'c]esiastieal  princ*e  of  Clermany  should 
have  the  i-tfrontery  to  thus  ignore  all  that  had 
occurri'd  in  the  stirring  half-diH'ade  just  passed 
seen)(^l  incredilde,  Th<'  author  of  the  Ninety- 
live  Tliesesat  once  prepare<l  a  lieree  denunciation  of 
the  ''new  idolatry  at  llalle,"  hut,  induceil  hy  the 
alarmed  Elector,  consentt»<l  to  delay  it8  puhliea- 
tion  an<l  content  himself  with  an  exccHilingly 
plain  letter  to  the  Arehhishop.  He  demands 
from  him  a  reply  within  fourteen  davi^,  Und  de- 
dans that,  if  a  siUisfactory  response  is  not  riveivcd 
within  that  time,  he  will  show  the  whole  world 
tin-  dithrenee  hetweeu  a  hishop  and  a  wolf.  Tho 
jiroud  cardinal  hastt-ned  to  prostrate  himself  as  a 
"poor  sinful  worm"  at  the  feet  of  the  outlawed 
heretic,  and  the  side  of  indulgences  ceiLsed. 

Hut  it  was  only  under  compulsion  that  Luther 
"  wa.sted "  th(?  pn^ious  hours  in  controversial 
writing.  His  favorite  lahors  were  those  devoted 
to  the  eililication  of  the  little  hand  of  j>ersecuted 
hrlicvers.  He  n'joieed  in  the  opj>ortunity  now 
alT<ird<-d  of  continuing  his  l>;itin  Exposition  of 
the  Psalms,  hut  soon  turne<l  from  this  to  the 
still  more  congenial  task  of  preparing  sermons  in 
German  upon  the  appointed  scripture  lessons  for 


TlIK    WAlCTHLiai    KXILK.  89 

the  successive  Sundays  of  the  chiircli-ycar.  Tliese 
w«'iv  publislied  in  sirtions  uncliT  tlu*  title,  Church 
Postils,  the  series  l)eing  completed  in  later  years 
hy  frirnds  of  the  Hifornier.  Bcsiilcs  being  eaj^erly 
bouirht  by  the  laity,  they  were  read  from  many 
j)ulpits  and  became  models  for  thousands  of  sim- 
ilar discourses,  j)rovin«;  thus  a  most  elTcctive 
means  of  brin^irini^  the  great  truths  of  salvation 
home  to  the  hearts  of  the  })eople.  Luther  him- 
self considered  them  the  best  of  all  his  writings. 
While  outspoken  in  di-nuneiation  uf  }>ai>al  errors, 
they  emphasize  the  great  doctrines  of  rejientance 
and  grace,  and  are  pervaded  by  a  tone  of  lofty 
confidence  in  the  final  triumj)h  of  the  truth. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  year  15*21  was  begun 
the  greatest  work  of  tbr  Reformer's  life,  the 
translation  of  the  Bible  from  the  original 
tongues  into  the  language  of  the  connnon  peo|>le. 
F()r  such  a  task  he  had  jx'culiar  fitness.  His 
vivid  imagination  and  his  deep  spiritual  nature 
enabled  him  to  catch  the  spirit  of  the  sacred 
writers,  while  his  thorough  familiarity  with  the 
conmion  language  and  the  aspirations  of  his  own 
beloved  countrymen  enabled  him  to  express  the 
inspired  thought  in  simple,  toucliing  phrase 
which  made  it  appear  almost  as  a  new  revelation. 
No  j)ains  were  spared  to  make  the  work  as  nearly 
])erfect  as  possible.  lie  studied  the  language  of 
the  })easants  in  their  homes  and  upon  the  street, 
and  talked  with  meclianics  as  they  plied  their 
trade.  Portions  of  the  work  were  given  to  the 
press  from  time  to  time,  and  within  less  than 
three  months  the  entire  New  Testament  was  com- 
])lete(b  It  was  only,  however,  after  th(»rough 
revision  in  conjunction  with  liis  learned  associ- 
ates at  Wittenberg,  tliat  the  work  appeared  in 
September,   1522. 


niAiTrn  ii 


A    TKMPICST   STILLED. 


The  unrif?]ito<nis  edict  of  Worms  served  to  rc^ 
veal  alike  to  friend  and  foe  how  thoroiiudily  tli(» 
teaehinjxs  of  the  desj)ised  monk  had  permeated 
all  classes  of  the  (hrinan  nation.  Feel»le  ctVort.s 
wri'v  made  here  and  tliere  to  enforce  its  reiiuire- 
inents  in  the  hurnini^  of  the  hooks  of  Luther,  ))ut 
these  could  hut  awaken  ridicule.  On  every  hand 
the  power  of  pope  and  Emperor  was  dehe<l. 
Anonymous  ])amphlets,  passinj^  from  hand  to 
hand,  depicted  with  keenest  satire  the  course  of 
events  at  Worms. 

The  University  at  Wittenberg,  deprived  of 
its  illustrious  h«'a<l,  was  still  rri^arded  as  the  cen- 
tre of  spiritual  illumination.  To  it  eajzer  students 
Hocked  from  distant  lands.  The  course  of  study 
was  greatly  enlari^ecl  under  the  direction  of  liUther, 
and  vigorous  young  scholars  of  evan<r<'li<'al  views 
were  called  to  till  the  newly-estahlished  profes- 
sorial chairs.  The  popularity  of  the  youthful 
professor  of  Circek,  Melanchthon,  was  unhounded. 
All  learning  was  there  made  subservient  to  the 
proper  understanding  an<l  illustration  of  the  Scrip- 
tures, and  the  dauntless  spirit  of  the  great  He- 
former  appeared  still  to  jtervade  the  wliole  eom- 
niunity. 

Sueii  (  ntliusi:ism  couM  not  long  remain  with- 
out practical  results.  Why  should  the  ahuses 
he  longer  tolerated  which  ]>ul)lic  sentiment  now 
8o  heartily  condemnecl  ?  Should  all  tins  throb- 
bing energy  l)e  wasted  in  mere  wortls?  O,  for  an 
(IK); 


A    TKMrKST   STILLKI).  91 

intrepid  leader!  Mehmchthon,  the  timid  student, 
couki  not  undertake  such  a  task.  Where  should 
the  new  Luther  he  found? 

How  natural  that  iiuompetent,  impetuous  spir- 
its should  now  eome  to  the  front,  and  that,  as  the 
exeitc'd  }>opula('e  followed  them,  reekless  violence 
should  mark  the  lirst  assaults  U])on  lon^-estab- 
lished  customs.  In  the  Auirustinian  monastery 
of  the  town,  a  monk,  named  Gabriel  Zwilling, 
cnterinjj;  the  jiulpit  which  Luther  had  Ioiil,^  Idled, 
assailed  with  vehemence  the  abuses  of  the  mass, 
demanded  that  the  cup  be  granted  to  the  laity, 
denounced  the  monastic  system,  and  finally,  with 
twelve  associates,  publicly  renounced  his  allegiance 
to  the  monastery.  The  incident  caused  great  ex- 
citement in  the  connnunity,  and  was  accompanied 
with  violent  demonstrations.  Similar  scenes  were 
eiiaete.l  at  Krfurt  and  elscwh.re.  A  general 
convention  of  the  Augustinian  Order  ol"  (Jer- 
niany,  held  at  Wittenberg  in  January  (at  which, 
however,  but  few  ollicials  from  al)road  were  i)res- 
ent),  proclaimed  that  no  one  should  be  compelled 
to  remain  in  a  monastery  against  his  own  con- 
victions of  duty,  and  admonished  all,  whether 
dej)arting  or  remaining,  to  conduct  themselves 
j)eaeeably  and  devote  themselves  to  useful  labors. 
This  action  was  taken  in  pursuance  of  advice  re- 
ceived directly  from  the  absent  "brother"  at  the 
Wartburg,  an<l  was  in  reality  an  entire  surrender 
of  the  principle  upon  which  the  maintenance  of 
the  monasteries  depended.  Many  of  the  monks 
availed  themselves  of  the  liberty  thus  granted, 
but  failed  to  ol»scrve  the  aecomjianying  admoni- 
tion, and  the  disturbances  continued. 

Among  the  ])rofessors  at  th(?  University  was 
Carlstadt,  a  man  of  marke«l  talent  and  restless 
energy,  but  fickle,  conceited  and  imprudent — in 


\)1  LlTIIKi:,   TIIK    1IEF(1RMER. 

arjiunicnt  or  action  always  taking  \\\v  socond  step 
iK'fore  tho  first.  After  the  Leipzig  Disputation 
he  ha«l  withdrawn  his  support  from  Luther  and 
again  courted  the  favor  of  tlie  I'hureh,  hut  he 
now  sudtU'nly  appeared  as  a  reformer  far  in  ad- 
vance of  Lutlier.  lie  declared  it  to  he  not  only 
a  privilege  hut  the  duty  of  the  clergy  to  marry, 
]»ronounced  it  a  sin  to  remain  in  a  monastery, 
and  ]>roposed  all  manner  of  social  innovations. 
He  upon  liis  own  res])onsihility  administered  the 
cup  to  the  laity,  made  contempt  for  the  estah- 
lislied  fast-days  a  test  of  piety,  and  urged  the 
jM.pulace  to  tear  down  the  ])ictures  in  the  churches 
an«l  destroy  the  altars. 

In  the  midst  of  the  tumultuous  scenes  w  Inch  fol- 
lowed, there  appearcil  three  men  from  Zwickau, 
calling  themselves  prophets.  Tliey  claimed  to 
have  received  direct  revelations  from  (iod  in  vis- 
ions, and  to  he  authorized  to  estahlish  a  new 
spiritual  kingdom.  They  denounced  infant  ]>ap- 
tism  as  especially  ohnoxious,  and  announced  that 
the  end  of  the  world  was  at  hand.  Mullitu(U»s 
were  deceived  hy  the  exalted  claims  of  these  men. 
Va'vw  Melanchthon  waviTcd  and  knew  \\o\  how  to 
meet  their  arguments,  receiving  one  of  them,  a 
former  pupil  of  his,  into  his  own  house.  C'arl- 
stadt  at  once  hecame  a  zealous  convert,  adopting 
the  wildest  mystical  notions,  and  advising  his 
students  to  ahandon  their  studies  and  ai>i)ly  them- 
selves to  useful  lahor.  Soon  all  was  in  confusi«»n. 
Hundreds  forsook  the  University  and  departed  to 
their  homes,  carrying  the  fanatical  id(\»s  through- 
out all  (rcrmany.  It  was  reported  that  even  Me- 
lanchthon was  ahout  to  leave  in  despair. 

And  all  thiswasat  Wittenherg,  thecentreof  evan- 
gelical truth.  The  natural  result,  exdaimed  the 
adversaries,  of  the  teachings  of  the  heretical  monk! 


A    TKMPEST   STILLED.  93 

"Put  a^ovo  the  tumult  tlicrf  was  ono  unclouded 
mind — one  heart  undaunted.  As  hv  instinct, 
Lutlier,  from  the  m<'a«:re  reports  reaehin«;  him, 
comprehended  the  situation  of  his  heloved 
A\'iltcuhcrj4crs,  and  resolved  to  prove  liis  loyalty 
to  them  and  to  the  greater  cause  imperiled  hy 
their  folly.  Already  in  Deeeniher  he  had,  in 
knightly  disguise,  journeyed  to  Wittenherg  an<l 
made  personal  investigation  of  the  condition  of 
affairs.  r])on  his  return,  he  had  puhlished  his 
Faithful  Warning  against  Insurrection.  He 
had  cahnly  viewed  the  vagaries  of  the  Zwickau 
prophets  ;  hut  now,  as  the  agitation  overleaps 
all  hounds,  he  notifies  the  Elector  that  he  pro- 
poses to  hid  farewell  to  his  secure  retreat  and 
return  to  the  post  of  duty.  A  hold  stc]),  in- 
deed I  lie  is  still  an  outcast  from  the  Church  and 
an  outlaw  in  the  land.  The  disturhances  at  ^^'it- 
tenherg  have  alienated  many  of  his  friends  and 
encouraged  his  enemies  to  fresh  z<'al.  The  repre- 
sentatives of  the  nation,  assemhled  at  Nuremberg, 
have  just  resolved  on  aggressive  measures  to  make 
the  edict  of  \\'orms  effective.  The  P'lector  can 
afford  no  protection  outside  of  the  castle  walls, 
and  j)lainly  tells  Luther  so.  Promptly  comes  the 
resjjonse:  "  I  go  forth  under  a  far  luLdier  than  an 
Elector's  protection.  *  *  ^>  He  whoso  faith  is 
strongest  will  in  these  davs  prove  the  best  pro- 
tector." 

Arriving  at  Wittenberg,  March  bth,  a  few  days 
are  spent  in  (juiet  consultation  with  friends.  On 
Sunday,  the  Oth,  he  ascends  the  ])ul|»it  of  tlu^ 
parish  church  and  in  a  series  of  eight  daily  ser- 
mons announces  his  own  views  upon  the  (pies- 
tions  in  disi)Ute  and  carries  with  him  ri'sistlessly 
the  convictions  of  his  hearers.  He  first  sunnnons 
them  to  serious  rellcction  in  view  of  a])proaching 


'.♦4  I.rrHKK,  THK   hkfoumkk. 

•  loath  and  jinlpiu'iit,  and  presses  liome  tlic  jrreat 
tluMnes  of  repentance  and  faith.  He  tlien  cordially 
apphuids  the  enerjrv  of  their  faith  and  their  eoiir- 
aixe  in  hein;;  the  lirst  to  aholish  the  ahoniinahle 
idolatry  of  tin*  mass.  With  the  tone  of  an  ag- 
grieved  father,  he  deplores  their  readiness  to  follow 
stranL'e  leailcrs  and  censures  their  Mind  zeal  and 
their  lack  of  Christian  love  in  demanding;  outward 
compliance  with  the  new  order  of  things  upon 
the  part  of  those  whose  con.scicnces  are  not  yet 
-ulliciently  enlightened.  He  dirlares  that  no  one 
can  he  driven  to  faith,  hut  tliat  the  Word  must  he 
diligently  prcacheil  an<l  allowed  t«>  gradually,  hy 
its  own  i)owcr,  jmt  error  to  ilight. 

The  success  of  tins  }iatcrnal  appml  was  im- 
mediate and  complete.  The  calm  dt-mcanor  of 
thi-  great  leader,  his  persuasive  el(njUcnce,  and 
the  clearness  of  the  j>rinciples  announced — in 
striking  contrast  with  the  inconsistent  ravings  of 
the  i)rophcts — proved  irresistihle.  Not  a  single 
voice  was  raised  in  opp(»sition.  Zwilling  ahan- 
<loncd  his  wild  notions  and  hecamc  a  disciple  of 
Luther  and  a  humhle  j)reacher  of  the  (lospel, 
Carlstadt  relapsed  into  silence.  The  storm  was 
stilled.  All  fears  vanishecl,  and  peace  reigned  at 
Wiltiiiherg.      The  pilot  was  at  tlie  In  Im. 


ClIAl'TKi;    III. 

RENEWED    ACTIVITY    AT    WITTENBERO. 

XATruAi.LY,  without  fear  and  witlioiit  exulta- 
tion, Luther  now  resumed  his  place  as  the 
rulini^'  spirit  of  the  University  and  villaire.  His 
word  was  law,  and  the  stormy  i)ast  seemed  like  a 
dnam.  He  does  not  appear  to  have  at  once 
midrrtaken  regular  academic  lectures,  as  that  por- 
tion of  his  earlier  lahors  was  hein^^  well  done  hy 
others.  Before  many  months,  however,  we  find 
him  expounding  whole  hooks  of  the  Bible  to 
eager  throngs  of  students. 

The  first  practical  (juestions  «leinandinfr  atten- 
tion were  thos(^  relating  to  the  public  worship  of 
the  e()ngregations,  particularly  of  the  ])arish 
church,  of  which  th(;  Reformer  was  the  ]>astor. 
Here  he  preached  twice  every  Sunday,  and  as 
soon  as  ])ractical)le  arranged  for  a  daily  devotional 
service,  in  which  the  chief  place  was  assigned  to  a 
practical  exposition  of  the  Scriptures.  He  con- 
ducted also  an  early  morning  service  in  tlic 
Auixustinian  monastery  every  Sunday. 

Disapproval  of  th(^  reckless  course  of  the  late 
self-appointeil  lead(.>rs  foimd  ]»ositive  ('X])ression  in 
the  restoration  of  nearly  all  the  customs  which 
had  been  violently  ahan<loned.  Luther  insisted 
that  scrupulous  regard  must  in  all  cases  he  mani- 
f(?sted  for  the  prejudices  of  the  unenlighten(Ml,  and 
that  no  long-established  c(Temonies  should  be 
changed  until  the  mass  of  the  congregation  had 
by  faithful  preaching  been  prej»ared  t<»  accept  the 
advanced  measures.  Subordinating  entirely  his 
(<Jo) 


96  Ll'TIIEK,  THE   REFORMER. 

own  personal  preferences,  he  restored  the  services 
of  llie  public  mass,  rt'tnininj:  as  harmless  the 
name,  whirh  ilio  extninists  had  rejected,  and 
omitting  only  those  portions  which  savored  dis- 
tinctly of  idolatry  and  human  j)resumption.  The 
pictures  which  liad  escaped  the  ictnioelastic  storm 
were  permitted  to  remain,  with  merely  a  warning 
from  the  j)ulj>it  and  through  j)uhlishe«l  tracts 
against  tlic  al»iiscs  ct)nnectcd  with  them.  The 
Latin  language  was  again  introduced  in  tlie  fa- 
miliar liturgiial  formularies.  The  cup  was  ad- 
ministered in  the  Lord's  Supj>er  only  to  those  who 
desired  it,  and  to  such  at  sj)ecial  times,  in  order 
not  to  offend  the  consciences  of  those  who  clung 
to  the  old  method.  Even  the  elevation  of  the 
host,  which  had  heen  so  closely  linked  witli  tho 
Worship  of  the  conseciate<l  elements,  was  ntained 
for  several  years  as  an  ixj>rcssion  of  reverence  and 
thankfulness.  Candles  and  the  ordinary  clerical 
vestments  found  their  j)lace  again  as  ancient  cus- 
toms. All  these  outward  forujs  were  regarded  as 
matters  of  indifference,  not  worth  contending 
about,  to  he  regulated  from  time  to  time  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  growing  intelligence  of  tho 
people. 

The  chief  aim  was  to  give  ]»rominence  to  tho 
proclamation  of  the  pure  Word  of  (Jod,  and 
ill  the  new  onit  r  of  woi>hip  which  Luther  him- 
s<lf  prepared  in  1023,  he  demanded  a  jilace  for 
this  in  the  very  mi<lst  of  the  service,  al)hreviating 
and  simplifying  the  latter,  and  providing  for  thi' 
gradual  superseding  of  the  Latin  hy  appropriate 
f«>rms  in  the  national  t<»ngue. 

Kspe<'ially  did  Luther  seek  to  cniourage  tho 
participation  of  all  the  assemhled  people  in  tho 
services  of  praise,  lie  pleaded  personally  with 
tljo.Ho  ol  lii-  a->«H  iales  who  were  known  to  pitssess 


KXTKNDTNG    INKI.rKNCK.  97 

iMutical  or  nuisical  talent  to  prepare  suitable  Oer- 
iiiaii  livmnR,  hiused  upon  tlie  Psalms,  or  other  por- 
tions of  the  Seriptures.  KaiHn.ir  to  secure  adiMjuate 
rrsponse,  he  himself  undertook  the  work,  display- 
ing,' a  «:ift  hitherto  entirely  inisusj)ccted  l)y  himself 
or  others.  The  martyrdom  of  two  brave  young 
eonfessoi*s  of  the  truth  at  Hrussds,  in  the  summer 
of  ir)23,  impelled  him  to  jrive  utterance  to  his 
«leej>  feeling  in  a  stirring  ode  in  connnemoration  of 
their  fidelity,  which  was  soon  ujion  the  lij>s  of  the 
multitude.  Karly  in  lo'it  a]i])ean'd  at  Witten- 
berg the  first  collection  of  evangelical  hymns 
in  the  (ierman  language,  there  being  but  eight  in 
all,  live  of  which  were  from  the  \)vn  of  Luther. 
He  com])osed  and  j»ublished  twenty  more  within 
the  same  year,  by  which  time  the  enthusiasm  of 
others  had  been  aroused  to  activity  in  this  new 
field,  and  the  foundations  laid  for  the  rich  and 
matchless  hymnology  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church.  The  lal)ors  of  the  Reformer  in  this  di- 
reetion  culminated  about  iry27,  in  the  j)reparation 
of  his  immortal  battle  hynni:  ''lun  feste  Burg  ist 
unser  (Jott." 

Hut  the  chief  energies  of  the  period  now  under 
review  were  devoted  to  the  continuance  of  the 
translation  of  the  Bible  The  work  done  at  the 
\\'artl)urg  was  thorougidy  revised,  appearing  in 
complete  form  in  SeptcndxT,  1522.  The  more 
serious  task  of  giving  idiomatic  ex])respion  to  the 
ruggetl  and  often  doubtful  forms  of  the  ancient 
Hebrew  writers  was  coiiragcously  undertaken. 
.\urogalIus,  the  new  ])r(>fessor  of  Hebrew  at  the 
I'niversity,  and  Melanchthon  rendcretl  constant 
and  valuable  assistance,  especially  in  fixing  the 
exact  meaning  of  the  original  text,  and  in  discov- 
ering the  nearest  equivalents  in  Clerman  for  un- 
usual terms,  but  the  imprctsii  of  the  Reformer's 
7 


98  LUTIIEK,  TIIK    REFOUMER. 

mind  was  upon  every  line  of  the  oomplctod  work. 
As  it  K'ft  tljc  pnss,  appoarinj;  in  sections  durinj^ 
tlic  vtars  l'>L'.*i-ir)i>4,  it  was  fn)ni  first  to  last 
Luther's  version  of  the  sacred  volume.  Thouj:h 
publishid  without  mention  of  the  translator's 
name,  the  introductions  to  the  separate  hooks,  the 
terse  marpnal  notes,  and  the  general  preface  ex- 
altinj;  the  Kpistic  to  the  Romans,  witli  its  doe- 
trine  of  justification  l»y  faith,  as  the  k«'y  to  the 
whole  Scriptures,  left  no  (lou)>t  in  any  mind  as  to 
its  source.  No  one  stopped  in  that  age  to  think 
of  the  excellence  of  the  tran.^lation.  It  was 
accepted  by  all  classes,  save  the  i»ronounced 
paj.i>l.<,  as  tlie  i>ure  and  simple  Word  of  (lod  res- 
cued from  the  mass  of  human  traditions  hy  the 
fearless  champion  of  the  truth.  Its  condemna- 
tion hy  tlie  authorities  of  the  corrupt  church  hut 
eontirmed  the  conviction  that  the  latter  were  de- 
ceivers who  could  not  endure  the  light,  and  in- 
creased the  jtopular  demand  for  the  work.  It 
remains  to-day,  substantially  unchanged.  Not 
only  has  it  heen  the  channel  through  which  the 
message  (»f  divine  grace  has  reached  the  ma.«ses  of 
theCJerman  nation;  hut  it  has  given  fixed  literary 
form  to  the  (lerman  language  itself,  which  was  at 
that  time  in  a  formative  stage.  The  peasant's 
son,  who  felt  his  nation.ality  tingling  in  every 
vein,  who  had  ahsorhe<l  the  wisdom  of  the  schools 
and  sounded  the  depths  of  foreign  ttnigues  with- 
out surrendering  his  native  power  of  forceful  ut- 
terance, here  voiced  the  highest  truths  in  forms 
8o  natural  that  even  his  enemies  could  hut  accept 
them  as  final,  and  the  th(Hilogian,  seeking  the 
eternal  well-heing  of  his  countrymen,  unwittingly 
became  the  literary  dictator  of  tlie  nati«»n. 


("Iiaiti:k  IV. 


KXTKNI)I.\(;    IMHENCE. 


TnE  consciousness  of  his  liij^li  callinir  as  tlio 
leader  of  a  ^reat  movement  emhracini;  not  ( Jermany 
alone,  l>ut  the  entire  Western  Cluncli,  \vas  now 
fully  awak(  ned  in  Lutlier.  and  his  position  as 
such  was  recognized  even  l>y  his  ])itti*rest  ene- 
mies, 'i'he  zealous  paj)ist,  Kin«^  Ferdinand,  who, 
in  theal)scnce  of  his  brotlier,  the  Emperor,  wielde<l 
the  imperial  sceptre,  informed  the  latter  in  l.ri.'J 
that  scarcely  (»ne  man  in  a  thousand  could  he 
found  in  the  realm  who  was  not  in  some  measure 
infected  with  the  new  heresy. 

Luther  fully  realized*  the  responsibility 
■which  thus  rested  ujm.u  him  and  cai-nestly  s(tu,L,dit 
to  lay  deep  foundations  for  the  future  welfare  of 
Church  and  State. 

The  cpicstion  of  the  proper  training  of  the 
young  and  the  instruction  of  the  ipiorant  mass«>s 
in  the  rudiments  of  savinir  doctrine  pressed 
heavily  U))on  him.  He  had  these  classes  mainly 
in  view  in  his  exj)osition  of  the  Ten  Comman*!- 
ments  from  the  ])ul])it  in  151().  A\'ith  character- 
istic distrust  of  his  own  fitness  for  the  undertaking:, 
he  now  earnestly  requested  various  friends  to 
jirepare  for  general  use  a  scries  of  simple  (piestions 
and  answers  coverinfir  the  cliief  articles  of  Christian 
faith.  He  at  leuL'th  secured  the  oflicial  appoint- 
ment of  Justus  Jonas,  the  ])rovost  of  the  Cni- 
vcrsity,  and  his  talented  friend.  Aj^ricola,  for  the 
work  of  preparing:  uj)on  this  plana  "children's 
catechism,''  and  ea<_'erly  awaited  the  result  of 
their  labors. 

(99) 


100  Ll'TIlKK.   Till-:    KKKOKMKR. 

W"i\]\  the  ij^norant  fanatirism  whicli  regards 
gt'iHTal  I'lliication  as  liostilf  to  i»i<'ty,  Liitlicr  had 
nevtT  the  sh^rhtest  syinpatliy.  He  hewailcd  tlie 
illitcniry  of  the  masses.  Alrcajly  in  1520,  in  his 
Addrc'is  to  thr  yohi/idf,  he  had  ur^^ed  tlie  necessity 
of  the  eareful  trainiii«r  of  the  younp,  and  now  tliat 
he  found  men  dceryinj;  all  edueation,  and  the 
town  school  of  Wittenherj^  transformed  into  a 
bakery,  he  was  tilled  with  the  deejx'st  anxiety. 
Ajjain  and  airain  he  lifted  up  his  voice  in  hchalf 
of  the  ncirlectcMl  youtli,  and  in  l.")24  pul>lisln'd  an 
earnest  a|»|)eal  '"to  all  hur^nniastcrs  an<l  councilors 
in  (icrnian  lands."  imj»lorin«^  them  to  estal>lish 
local  schools  at  the  puhlie  expense.  lie  ar;:u(<l 
that  hut  a  portion  of  the  money  once  so  freely 
s<iuandered  ui)on  in<lulg<Mices,  masses  and  pil- 
grimajxes  would  sufliee  to  ensure  an  ade<juate 
training  of  the  risin<;  ireneration,  and  maintain<<l, 
with  a  convincing  energy  never  since  excelled, 
that  the  puhlie  safety  was  far  more  dependent 
upon  the  general  intelligence  than  uj)on  arma- 
ments or  hoarded  wealth.  Nor  were  these  ap- 
peals in  vain.  Pastor  lUigenhagen  re-opened  the 
school  at  Wittenherg.  Educati<>nal  work  wjls 
organized  on  abroad  basis  at  Magdeburg,  Nurem- 
berg, and  other  inlluential  centres  under  the 
direction  of  Luther  nnd  Melanchthon,  the  Tni- 
versity  of  A\'ittenberg  furnishing  enthusiastic 
teachers.  Luther  himself  in  1.')!.'')  traveled  to 
Eislcben  to  participate  in  the  estal»lishmcnt  of  a 
8cho(>l  in  thei)laceof  his  birth,  which  was  at  once 
committed  to  the  oversight  (»f  his  friend,  .\gricola. 

Full  recognition  was  al.<o  given  by  the  Reformer 
U)  the  claims  of  higher  education  He  main- 
tjiined  the  importance  of  the  study  of  the  ancient 
languages,  not  only  because  they  are  the  sheath 
in  which   the  keen  blade  of  the  Spirit  is  carrie<l, 


EXTENDING    INKIAKNCE.  Idl 

l)Ut  for  tlic'ir  l)r(iaiU'nin<:  inlUu'ncc  upon  tlio  mind. 
While  (k'lioiiiuin^  philosophy  as  sliocr  folly,  and 
human  culture  as  vanity,  wht^n  they  attcnijjt  to 
usurp  the  plaei' of  rdiirion,  he  regarded  all  science 
antl  art  as  natural  allies,  an<l  ur^'ed  their  eifltiva- 
tion  as  tending  to  develop  the  ])owers  which  the 
Creator  lias  wisely  and  L^raeioiisly  hest«)We«l  upon 
man. 

Serious  financial  questions  wi  re  involved  in 
the  great  chan^'es  wrouudit  hy  the  new  doctrines. 
What  should  l)e  done  with  the  al)andoned  monas- 
teries and  their  valuahle  j^roperty  ?  The  lar.La^  en- 
dowments for  the  support  of  ])ul>lic  and  private 
masses  could  in  many  ])laees  no  longer  he  em- 
ployed in  accordance  with  the  will  of  the  testators. 
Many  bequests  to  monasteries  had  heen  made  hy 
nohle  families,  mainly  as  a  ])rovision  for  the  sup- 
port of  their  indigent  nuinhere  who,  it  was 
thought,  would  find  in  these  institutions  a  seeure 
home  through  life.  Those  who  still  cherished  the 
expectation  of  a  return  to  the  old  order  of  things 
protested  against  the  employment  of  these  funds 
in  any  other  than  a  literal  accordance  with  the 
terms  upon  which  they  had  heen  given.  lUit  it 
soon  heeame  evident  that  such  were  hut  idle 
dreamers.  The  whole  organization  of  society  had 
heen  j)ermanently  changed,  and  some  new  dispo- 
sition must  he  made  of  these  now  useless  posses- 
sions. 

No  one  realized  the  extent  of  these  difficulties 
more  keenly  nor  faced  them  more  hravely  than 
di<l  Luther.  He  maintained,  as  a  general  ]>rinci 
j)le,  that  endowments  estahlished  for  the  sup- 
port of  unchristian  methods  «>f  diviiu^  worship 
could  now  he  rightly  apj>lied  oidy  for  the  further- 
ance of  the  same  ultimate  end  hy  ])rojK'r  and 
Chri-tian  niel]i<»ds.    lA:iii<j(]i<:d  p.istois,  regularly- 


102  LimiEK,  THE    HEFORMER. 

called,  were  eiititlrd  to  the  income  of  parishes 
on<-e  uiuKr  the  jurisdiction  of  Ktuiiish  priests,  hut 
cuuKl  not  lUniand  this  where  the  okl  order  8till 
prevaiK'd.  Monasteries  should  hecoine  8eh(K>ls 
lor  the  eoninjon  iK-ople,  and  tlieir  endowments 
might  1k'  emi»h»ye(l  f(»r  any  of  tlie  legitimate  pur- 
poses t»f  edueation  or  religion.  First  of  all,  how- 
ever, a  suitahle  portion  <>f  the  invcstitl  funds 
shouUl  he  nturnnl  to  tlie  indigent  luirs  of  those 
from  whom  the  donations  hail  originally  eome, 
sinee  the  support  of  these  was  a  j)art  of  the  design 
of  the  donors.  Si'C'ondly,  jirovision  should  hemaiie 
for  the  maintenanee  of  the  aged  inmati's  of  the 
eloisti'rs  and  of  the  j>oor  and  unfortunate  in  every 
community.  Only  when  these  j)rimary  demands 
of  justice  and  charity  should  have  heen  justly 
met  might  the  claims  of  education  and  worship 
V)e  asserted.  The  views  of  Luther  U]>on  these 
questions  were  widely  inllucntial,  hut  sehloin 
attained  com]>lete  triumjth  over  the  schemes  of 
grasj)ing  oflicials  or  the  ru«h'  violcnee  of  an  ex- 
cited populace.  IIelament<'d  :  ''The  world  mu.st 
still  he  the  world,  and  Satan  its  prince  :  I  have 
done  what  I  could." 

In  the  midst  of  thtsc  general  cares,  I.uthrr  wa.s 
constantlv  hesieged  l)y  a  multitude  of  escaped 
monks  and  priests  deposed  for  the  expression 
of  evang(  li«  al  views.  He  felt  a  njcasure  of  per- 
sonal responsihility  for  the  helples*^  condition  of 
such,  welcomed  them  to  his  tahle,  and  spare<l  no 
effort  to  secure  for  them  o])|K)rtunities  of  earning 
a  livelih*o<Ml.  We  still  }H»ssess  many  letters  writ- 
t**n  hy  him  in  the  interest  of  such  individuals  to 
princes,  past<»rs  and  the  <lire<tors  of  manufactur- 
ing j-stahlishments  throughout  (iermany.  He  was 
jM'<-uliarly  intereste<l  in  the  case  of  nine  nuns  who 
at  East4.'r,  in  1523,  after  appealing  in  vain  to  their 


EXTEXm.NC    INriA'ENcE.  lOo 

relatives  to  scciiro  tlicir  iL-lcase  from  unwillin«^ 
hondage,  oscaiK'd  l»y  iii«;lit  fn»in  a  convent  at 
Niniptzsc'h  and  came  to  Wittenberg.  lie  pn))- 
licly  commended  their  courageous  course,  found 
temporary  shelter  for  tlicm,  and  was  soon  gratified 
in  seeing  them  nearly  all  well  and  j)ermanently 
I)rovided  for,  several  having  heen  married  t<»  hon- 
orable and  well-to-do  citizens. 

People  in  all  manner  of  distress  ap]>lied  to 
him  for  aid.  To  some  lie  secured  the  restoration 
of  proj)erty  wrongfully  taken  from  them  ;  others 
were  by  his  intercession  relieved  from  the  l>ay- 
ment  of  oppressive  fines.  Mothers  appealed  to 
him  for  counsel  in  regard  to  the  marriage  of  their 
children,  and  young  ladic^s  enlisted  him  as  an 
advocate  in  overcoming  the  oj (position  of  relatives 
to  their  chosen  suitors.  He  wrote  many  letters  of 
consolation  to  th(»  sick,  the  imi)risoned  and  the 
]>ereaved,  displaying  the  most  delicate  sympathy 
and  always  connecting  his  counsel  intimately  with 
some  ai)propriate  passage  of  the  divine  Word. 
These  private  letters  not  infre<iuently  found  their 
way  ([uickly  into  print  and  carried  comfort  every- 
where to  the  homes  of  the  afllicted.  They  give 
us  a  profound  insight  into  the  KefoniKT's  tenderly 
sensitive  nature,  and  mark  him  as  the  most  in- 
tensely human  of  all  the  world's  great  leaders, 
the  Ai>uslle  I'aul  alone  excepted. 


CIIAITKr.  V. 

THE   OLD   ENEMY. 

When  Lutlicr  liad  so  heroically  niaintaiind  In's 
j>ositi(»n  at  Worms,  the  breach  with  the  Church 
of  Koine  was  rceo^nizcil  on  all  liaixls  as  (•(•niplctc 
and  <in:il.  On  all  essential  points  hf  had  fortified 
his  doctrinal  position,  and  had  no  di'sire  to  rcn<'\v 
discussion  with  his  adversaries,  who  could  hut 
re-assert  their  views  and  cite  in  their  suj)j)ort  the 
utterances  of  fallihle  men  and  the  notoriously 
unreliahle  deliverances  of  po]>es  an<l  councils. 
He  soUL'ht  now  only  the  further  development  of 
the  doctrines  which  he  had  found  so  mnnistak- 
al»ly  tau.Ldit  in  the  divine  Word,  and  their  appli- 
cation to  the  necessities  of  the  awakening  church 
life.  True,  his  opinions  of  the  ini<|uity  (»f  the 
papal  hierarchy  and  the  hlasj)hemous  character 
of  its  claims  were  hut  confirmed  in  the  course  of 
his  studies,  and  he  l(»st  no  suitahle  opportunity 
to  pive  open  utterance  to  his  implacahle  hostility. 
Ihit  he  souj^ht  not  controversy.  As  his  now  ex- 
ult.'int  foes  ass:ule<l  him  on  every  hand,  he  re- 
plied their  elTusions  with  silent  contempt,  or 
turnrd  tliem  over  for  refutation  to  the  hands  of 
his  followers.  A  few  prtunincnt  assailants  were, 
however,  still  prante<l  the  honor  of  a  direct  reply, 
lest  the  dijrnity  of  their  names  should  pive  cur- 
rency to  their  perverh'd  views. 

The  University  of  Paris  had  loni:  dis]»layed 

a  decree  of  indeju-ndenee    in  its  relati<»ns  to  the 

papacy   which   led    Luther  and   his   associates  to 

iinticipate  a  favoral»le  disposition   upon   its  part 

(104) 


Tin:    (>M)    KNKMY.  Ill") 

toward  their  ofTorts  to  t'lnancip.-itc  tlio  enslaved 
nations.  At  the  tirn«'  of  the  Leipzig  Disputation, 
Luther  had  l)een  wilHnir  to  suhniit  liis  views  for 
critical  examination  to  tliis  unjjrejudieed  and  en- 
liirhtened  trihunal.  The  theoloLnans  of  the  insti- 
tution then  avoided  an  expression  of  tlieir  views, 
hut  had  since  i)raetieally  ran,ire<l  tlienjselves  upon 
the  side  of  his  enemies.  Now,  in  A)>ril,  1521, 
they  east  olT  all  reserve,  ])ul>lishinLX  a  ioui^  list  of 
citations  from  his  writini^s,  which  tiiey  denounced 
as  "poisonous,  outrageous  and  ])estilential  here- 
sies." As  these  learned  men,  however,  contented 
themselves  with  denunciation,  and  did  not  under- 
take to  refute  any  of  the  heretic's  ern^rs,  the 
latter  r(\i^arded  their  assault  with  unconcealed 
contempt.  He  allowed  Mclanchthon  to  re)»ly  in 
Latin,  and  then  })ui)lished  a  translation  of  hoth 
documents,  })receded  and  f(>llowed  hy  a  few 
caustic  comments  of  his  own,  pronouncinf?  the 
faculty  of  Paris  ''full  of  the  snow-white  lejtrosy 
of  antichristian  heresy  from  the  crown  of  the  head 
to  the  sole  of  the  foot."  lie  shrewdly  called 
puhlic  attention  to  the  fact  that,  whereas  his  chief 
contention  with  the  enemy  had  hitherto  heen 
upon  the  suhject  of  papal  su])remacy,  this  valiant 
<lefender,of  the  faith  was  entirely  silent  u])on  that 
point,  thus  practically  concedin<i:  his  ])()sition  in 
the  great  controversy,  and  revealini:  the  Imllow- 
ness  of  the  hoasted  miity  of  the  Romish  Church. 
An  annual  l)ull  had  for  a  luunlter  of  years  heen 
issued  from  Rome  just  hefore  the  Kaster  festival, 
entitled  the  Bull  of  the  Supper  of  the  Lord, 
emhracing  a  list  of  all  the  (hunnahle  heresies 
which  had  ])revailed  in  the  Church.  In  the  year 
loJl,  the  name  of  Luther  a])peared  in  this  t<'rrilic 
d«Hument,  following  those  of  \\'icklilTe  and  IIus.s. 
Ueceiving  a  copy  at  the  Warthurg,  Luther  i)uh- 


100  LUTHKU,  THK    KEKOKMKK. 

li.sli(Kl,  as  ft  *'Nt'w  Year's  (Jrcctinp*'  for  tlio 
rn|M\  a  r«j..in<l,T  cutitltMl  :  The  Bull  of  the 
Evening  Gormandizing  of  our  Most  Holy 
Lord,  the  Pope,  ciuotiiij^  in  tlie  caidion  iIk* 
^vo^(ls  nf  the  Uuth  I'sahn:  *'  His  nioutli  is  full  <»f 
cursing  and  deceit  and  fraud,''  and  representing 
the  great  head  of  tlio  Chureh,  after  a  luxurious  sup- 
per, opcninjx  his  mouth  in  drunken  frenzy  to  curse 
all  the  world  in  harharous  and  incolierent  Latin. 

A  new  assailant  apj)ean-d  in  the  same  year — no 
less  a  j»ers(>na.i:e  than  King  Henry  VIII.,  of 
En<;lantl,  who  at  this  jun<  turc  had  special  rrasniis 
for  eultivatin^' the  <^ood  will  of  the  Pope.  Layinj^ 
aside  the  di,LMiity  heeoniini:  his  stati(»n,  and  j»rid- 
ing  himself  upon  his  rather  meagre  literary  attain- 
ments, this  monareh  of  a  great  nation,  who  during 
the  session  o(  the  Diet  at  Worms  had  urged  the 
Kmperor  to  employ  the  severest  measures  for  the 
suppression  of  the  heretic,  now  condescends  to  a 
personal  attack  upon  the  poor  monk  in  a  foreign 
land.  Professing  to  defend  the  Roman  Catholic 
doctrines  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  indulgences  and 
the  supremacy  of  the  Pope  against  the  strictures 
of  Luther  in  his  Jiahylonidn  Oiptivitt/^  he  de- 
nounces the  Reformer  in  the  coarsest  and  vilest 
terms.  The  work  was  dedicated  to  the  l*ope,  and 
earned  for  its  author  the  title,  "  Defendt^  of  the 
Faith,"  which  is  still  j)roudly  wt>rn  hy  the  Pro- 
testant monarchs  nf  England,  not  without  some 
aversion,  we  mav  fancy,  ils  they  recall  its  rathiT 
duhious  origin.  A  special  Hull  was  issued  fn»m 
Ronje,  assuring  to  every  (»ne  wliosht)uld  read  tliis 
royal  defence  nf  the  truth  an  indulgence  releas- 
ing him  from  ti-n  years'  pain  in  purgatnry,  a  favor, 
we  may  surndse,  not  so  readily  granted  when,  thir- 
teen years  latrr,  this  same  king  severetl  i\\o  Kng- 
lish  chunli  fn»m  all  allegiance  to  the  papal  throne. 


THE    OI.I)    KNKMY.  107 

To  cnaMi'  all  (Icnnans  to  socuro  {hv  j.roiiiiscfl  iii- 
(lulgt'iice,  the  docuinent  was,  hy  tliirction  of 
Lutiu'i's  inveterate-  enemy,  Duke  CJeoi}^e  of  Sax- 
ony, translateil  into  their  lan^ua-^'c  and  widely 
seattereil.  It  never,  however,  apj>r«)aehed  the  eir- 
euhition  of  the  counter-i)ublieation  of  Luther,  in 
wliich,  after  a  patient  re-statenient  and  defenee  of 
the  views  assailed,  the  supreme  importanee  of 
faith  was  stron;^dy  asserted,  and  full  ])lay  tlien 
j^iven  to  the  Reformer's  indiLMiation  and  eontempt, 
eoverin«^  the  royal  antagonist  with  opprohrium. 
*' These  two,"*  he  declared,  "Henry  and  the 
Pope,  just  suit  to<^ether — two  donkeys  hrayin*;  to 
one  another."  So  terri})le  was  the  rehuke  thus 
administered,  that  Luther's  own  friends  were  af- 
frij^hted,  and  the  iistonished  monarch  comi>lained 
hitterly  to  the  German  j)rinees  of  the  grievous  in- 
jury he  had  received  at  the  hands  of  the  sliame- 
less  monk. 

A  peculiar  means  of  attack  employed  by  a 
j)aniphleteer,  ())r/ihni.^,  in  1523,  deserves  passing 
notice,  as  illustratiuL;  a  cliaracteristic  of  the  age. 
The  helief  in  the  significance  of  portents,  or  any 
unusual  a])pcarance  in  the  natural  world,  was 
aluKJst  universal.  The  puhlieation  referred  to 
describes  a  calf,  born  at  Freiburg,  having  a  bald 
pate,  a  'monk's  cowl  hanging  about  its  neck,  a 
mouth  like  a  man's,  and  frcijUently  gesticulating 
like  a  preacher  in  the  i»ulpit.  Of  course  this 
could  only  ])orten«l  dire  disaster  to  the  land,  indi- 
(*ating  clearly  enough  the  monk  of  Wittenberg  as 
the  cause  of  the  coming  calamities,  Luther  |tn)ved 
more  than  a  match  for  his  antagonists,  however, 
even  in  the  interpretation  of  such  profound  mys- 
teries, lie  replied  that  the  calf  was  a  symbol  of 
the  absurdities  of  monasticism,  foun<l  a  counter- 
part of  each   diiformity  in    some   featun;  of   the 


108  Ll'TlIEU,  THE    IlEFOKMEK. 

effete  system,  and  puMishcd  his  cxplanati<»ii  with 
a  strikinjx  j>ictiirc  of  the  famous  heast  ainl  lA  an 
etjually  strange  creature  found  dead  in  the  Tiher 
a  (juarter  of  a  century  before — an  ass,  having 
some  remarkahle  resem!)huu'es  to  the  person  of 
the  I'oi»e,  the  latter  case  being  eh^arly  described 
l)y  tlie  jx'U  of  Melanchthon.  As  may  be  imagine«l, 
this  ilhistratid  pul»htation  proved  very  p<>j)ular, 
and  pik^sed  through  a  number  of  editions. 


CIIAITKli  V 


FALTEin.NX;    ALLIE:?. 


We  have  scon  tlio  sympathy  of  Luther  with  tlie 
Iliiinaiiistic  movement.  Its  leaders  in  (ierniany 
were  anionic  his  early  assoeiates  at  the  University, 
and  with  many  of  them  he  eontiiUKMl  to  maintain 
the  friendliest  relations.  He  share<l  their  love  of 
learninir,  and  they  sympathize<l  with  him  in  his 
free  eriticism  of  the  blind  do<;matisin  of  the  past. 

I>ut  the  Humanists,  as  a  rule,  weri'  strangers 
to  the  moral  earnestness  of  Luther.  They  were 
Epicureans  in  temper,  if  not  in  profession.  They 
dreade<l  strife  and  were  ready  to  make  almost  any 
saerifice  of  their  eonvietions  if  they  might  only 
pursue  undisturbed  their  favorite  studies.  Not  a 
few  of  them  were,  in  the  course  of  the  conHiet, 
drawn  into  full  sympathy  with  the  religious 
moveuK'nt  and  became  very  valuable  promoters 
of  the  Reformation.  P)Ut  the  majority  gradually 
withdrew  their  su})port  from  Luther,  and  either 
amused  themselves  by  satirizing  the  contestants 
upon  either  side,  or  avoided  the  cpiestions  of  dis- 
pute entirely.  Luther  spoke  scornfully  of  the 
pusillanimous  spirit  of  these  enlight<'ned  men,  but 
did  not  seriously  grieve  over  their  departure,  as  he 
had  never  fully  trusted  them.  His  deeply  reverent 
nature  had  always  been  re])elled  by  the  trilling 
way  in  which  they  dealt  witli  sacred  themes. 

More  serious  was  the  widening  breach  between 

himself  and   Erasmus,  the  acknowledged  leader 

of   the    Humanists.     The   latter   was    a    man    of 

really  extensive  and  accurate  learning,  a  diligent 

(lO'.l) 


11<)  I  I   rHKI{,   TIIK    REFORMEH. 

stiulcnt.  and  tl»e  master  of  an  elegant  Latin  diction. 
He  liad  rmderiHl  lurinanent  scrvite  hy  his  investi- 
gatinns  of  ancient  vt'rsit»ns  of  tlie  Scriptun  s  and  l>y 
the  puhliiation  of  a(Jrcck  New  Tistanunt.  \\v  had 
travclc<l  wi(h  ly,  rcsidini;  and  teaching  in  London, 
Oxford,  ('ainl)ridgc,  in  France,  Italy  and  llolhnul. 
He,  and  tlie  great  llehrew  scholar,  Kcuclilin, 
were  called  the  "  Kyes  of  (Jermany."  By  his 
keenly  satirical  writings  against  prevailing  ahuses, 
whicli  were  most  widely  circulated,  he  had  j)re- 
pared  the  minds  of  many  among  the  educated 
classes  foranopen  ru]»ture\\  iththechurchof  Koine. 
Luther  entertained  a  liigh  regard  for  the  attain- 
ments of  Erasmus,  ami  tlie  latter  at  lirst  welcomed 
the  \H)h\  utterances  of  tlie  monk  as  tending  to 
hreak  tile  sliackles  of  n)e<na'val  dogmatism.  An 
occasional  correspondence  sprung  up  hetween 
the  two  men,  initiated  hy  Luther,  who  was  very 
anxious  to  secure  as  far  as  possihle  the  scholarship 
and  iniluence  of  the  celehrated  scholar  f<»r  the 
cause  of  the  CIospcl.  As  early  as  1517,  however, 
he  ex])resse<l  to  his  friends  distrust  of  the  moral 
sincerity  of  Erasmus,  and  he  soon  hecame  con- 
vinced that  no  active  support  was  to  he  expected 
from  tlie  sage  of  Kottenlam.  In  1024,  he  ad- 
dressed to  him  an  exceedingly  can<lid  U'tter  as  a 
last  appeal,  hegging  him  to  confmc  himself  to 
the  sfilu  re  for  wliicli  his  talents  so  j)eculiarly  fitted 
him,  and  not  to  yield  his  pen  to  the  service  of  the 
enenjy.  Hut  this  plea  came  too  late,  if  indeed 
it<  imperious  tone  did  not,  l.y  wounding  the  pride 
of  Erasmus,  give  additional  eni'rgy  to  the  assault 
which  he  was  even  then  engaged  in  ])rej>aring. 
He  had  heen  urged  hy  many  to  avenge  the  in- 
juH'd  honor  of  Enghunl's  king  hy  entering  the 
lists  against  Luther.  This  now  appeared  a  per- 
fectly safe  and  politic  thing  t«»do,  as  Erasnnis  had 


FAI.TEHINC,    AM.IE.^.  Ill 

finally  concliulod  to  rast  in  his  lot  with  the  j)a]ial 
l>arty,  ami  fonld  of  connsc  ]»roinott'  his  jicrsonal 
interests  hy  aidinir  thcin  in  tlu-ir  cU'siuTati' conflict 
with  tlu'  invinciitic  monk. 

TIm'  point  of  attack  was  most  skilfully  clioscn. 
Krasmiisdid  not  dare  to  ('X])ost'  himself  to  ridicule 
hy  rushinj^  to  the  tlcfcnce  of  the  papal  ahsurdities 
over  which  he  had  himself  so  often  made  merry, 
lie  must  select  st^me  thenu^  which  would  call  for 
-cholarly  treatment  ami  which  had  not  heen 
already  discussed  hy  men  less  celehrati'd  than 
himself.  Luther  had  very  hroadly  denied  the 
ahility  of  man  hy  his  own  strcnirth  to  choose  or  to 
do  that  which  is  ri^ht.  Erasmus,  the  self-reliant 
r(>j>resentative  and  exponent  of  the  culture  which 
man  may  attain  hy  a  proper  discii)line  of  his  na- 
tural powei^s,  would  take  up  the  cause  of  human 
ahility.  In  Septemher.  ir)'24,  a])peared  his  book 
entitled:  Of  the  Free  Will.  Luther  at  once  re- 
coLHiized  that  he  had  here  an  antaironist  more 
worthy  of  his  steel  than  any  who  had  yet  assailed 
liim.  He  declared  openly  that  Erasmus  was  the 
lirst  of  all  his  enemies  to  touch  the  real  hcjirt  of 
the  controversy.  All  others  had  disj»uted  ahout 
outward  trilles,  hut  here  the  very  citadel  of  his 
teachinj:^  was  assailed,  and  he  rejoiced  in  the  op- 
portunity to  write  upon  themes  of  real  importance. 
Nevertheless,  the  arguments  of  Erasmus,  though 
l)eautifully  exi)ressed,  appeared  to  him  sur])ris- 
ingly  weak,  and  he  did  not  lu^sitate  to  op])ose  to 
them  a  thorough  statcmmt  of  his  own  vi(■^v<  in 
the  treatise  entitle.l:  Of  the  Enslaved  Will. 
This  document  contains  the  most  uncjualilied  as- 
sertions of  man's  utter  heli)lessncss  and  of  the  ab- 
solute sovereignty  of  (Jod.  The  most  extreme 
views  of  Augustine  touching  the  eternal  divine* 
decrees  are  cordially  endorsed,  and  tlu'  autlun*  is 


IIJ  LVTHKK,  THE    HEFOKMEK. 

at  no  pains  to  reconcile  tlie  fretiiient  tifclaration, 
that  "all  things  come  to  i)a.ss  of  necessity,"  with 
that  conviction  of  five  aj^uncy  upon  which  nsts 
the  universal  sense  of  |u'rsonal  responsihility. 

In  estiniatinj?  the  positions  here  assumed  l»y 
Luther,  it  is  imj»ortant  to  remember  that  they  are 
not  the  (le<lucti(»ns  «>f  abstract  reasoning',  hut  were 
maintained  so  zealously  as  seemingly  essential 
to  the  integrity  of  the  fundanu'iital  doctrine  (»f  tht- 
Gospel,  1.  <•.,  salvation  hy  pure  ^race,  without  any 
admixture  of  human  worthiness.  This  doctrine, 
he  felt,  must  he  defendeil  at  all  hazards,  however 
trying  to  the  human  reason  may  he  the  inferences 
n'^juired.  It  is  very  noticeable  that  in  the  later 
utterances  (»f  the  Reformer  the  extreme  statementi^ 
here  defended  in  tin;  heat  of  controversy  d<t  not 
ri'<*ur,  although  they  were  never  formally  recalled. 
Their  assertion  at  this  time,  as  in  llie  eiiually 
strict  statements  found  in  the  theological  works  of 
Mclanchtlion,  did  much  to  eni]>hasize  the  line  of 
demarcati<»n  between  the  shallow  work-righteous- 
ness of  the  Romish  church,  and  the  liumble  yet 
conlident  dependence  upon  the  free  mercy  of  CJod 
which  distinguished  the  genuine  Reformers,  and 
wliich  has  pervaded  all  Lutheran  thciiloL'v.  The 
docunn-nt  is  not  lacking  in  the  personal  invec- 
tive which  entei*s  so  largely  into  all  the  contro- 
versial writings  of  the  ju'iiod,  and  which  Luther 
felt  to  be  the  more  needful  the  ujorc  exalted  the 
reputation  of  those  who  dared  to  arisi'  as  the 
champions  of  error.  To  have  spoken  lightly  now 
would  have  seemed  to  indicate  fear  of  his  illus- 
trious antagonist  or  indiiTerence  to  the  labored 
attempt  of  the  latter  to  lay  a  logical  foundation 
for  the  religion  of  human  merit.  From  this  time 
onward,  Krasnuis  is  to  be  numbere«l  among  the 
open    foen   of    th*'    Ref<)rmation,    though    always 


FALTKKI.V;    A  LI. IRS.  113 

couiis«  lini:  iiKKU'ration  in  tlio  oiitwanl  measures 
adopted  for  its  suj»})r('ssi()n. 

Lutlur  was  more  di^jtly  pained  l»y  tlio  defec- 
tion of  Ids  old  friend,  Staupitz,  thron^di  wliose 
wise  counsels  lie  had  l>een  so  ^'really  aided  in  the 
days  of  his  spiritual  distress  in  tiie  monastery. 
Tlie  latter,  after  following  the  f(trtunes  of  the  Re- 
former for  some  yeai*s,  thoujrh  with  faltering  ste]), 
heeame  alarmed  by  the  increasing  rancor  of  the 
strife  and  longing  to  end  his  days  amid  the 
l»eaeeful  activities  of  an  established  ecclesiastical 
order,  had  returned  to  tlie  service  of  the  })apal 
church,  beconnng  al)bot  of  a  cloister  at  Salzl»urg, 
and  vicar  to  the  cardinal-archhishoj).  Lutlu'r  con- 
tinued to  maintain  correspondence  with  this  gen- 
ial hut  faint-hearted  man  until  the  latter,  disap- 
]iointed  and  self-rei>roachful,  was  released  from 
his  trying  jiosition  by  death  in  December,  1524. 
Luther's  sad  comment  was:  "God  has  slain  him," 
yet  he  always  spoke  of  him  with  tenderest  reganl. 

Luther  was  well  aware  tliat  Staupitz  wjis  the 
representative  of  a  large  number  of  i)ersons  who, 
fully  e(»nvinced  of  the  righteousness  of  his  cause 
and  kindly  inclined  toward  himself,  were  yet 
shrinking  back  into  the  camp  of  the  enemy, 
frightened  by  the  extent  of  the  general  ui)heaval 
of  society  and  alienated,  in  i)art.  by  the  seeming 
arrogance  of  his  own  bearing  and  the  rude  vigor 
of  his  speech.  Yet  he  refused  to  moderate  in  the 
least  the  bluntness  of  his  language,  convinced  that 
no  smoother  ]»hraseology  would  suHiee  to  arrest 
the  insolence  of  the  unscru])ul«)Us  defenders  of  the 
apostate  church  nor  to  arouse  timid  believers  to 
open  and  uncomj»romising  resistance.  Others 
might  flinch  before  the  foe;  he  must  l)Ut  stand  the 
morelirmly,  and,  though  he  stand  alone,  hurl  de- 
liance  into  the  face  of  every  champion  of  error. 


fllAITKIt  VI 


RAGINC;    PEASANTS. 


Vigorous  ns  were  the  protests  of  Lutlicr  a^raiiist 
prcvailin«x  errors,  In'  always  consistently  main- 
tainc*!  that  no  sword  hut  that  of  the  Spirit  n)ust 
he  used  in  difenee  t)f  thr  truth.  Ahuses  and  in- 
juri«'s  must  hv  endured  in  Christian  meekness 
until  tliey  can  he  nin<'<lit(l  hy  lawful  means. 
Obedience  to  the  powers  that  be,  he  ur»red  as 
a  primary  duty  of  every  Christian  eitizen.  When, 
in  his  Aflilrejis  to  the  XuhlUtj/^  he  so  fervently  ajn 
peals  to  his  countrymen  to  throw  of!  the  yoke  of 
foreiirn  oppn^ssors,  lie  always  has  distinctly  in 
view  an  onlerly  resistiince  conducteil  hy  the  law- 
ful lea«lers  of  the  nation.  ]UU  nut  all  the  a«ritatnrs 
of  the  day  were  thus  conscientious,  and  the  j)a- 
tient  peasantry  of  (lermany  had  already  a  hundred 
years  l)efore  given  evidence  that  their  wrath,  whm 
fully  aroused,  could  hrook  no  resistance.  The 
grievances  were  manifold,  and  mainly  of  a  politi- 
cal nature.  The  ancient  feudal  system,  still  in 
part  maintained,  involved  the  ahject  sul»je<'tion  of 
the  common  man  to  his  lie<re-l(»rd  and  the  su{»|»nrt 
•  tf  a  laru'e  hody  of  prtly  nohility.  Thr  imperial 
taxes  were  unscrupulously  levied.  The  Church 
was  never  done  with  its  exactions,  an<l  njain- 
taincd  its  sway  over  the  supei-stitious  masses  hy 
••alhnp  to  its  const^mt  aid  the  shadowy  forms  of 
departed  saints,  and  painting  in  lurid  colors  the 
pangs  of  purgatory  and  perdition. 

When  I.utlu'r  now  snatched  the  keys  of  heaven 
un«l  hell  from  the  hands  of  sordid  ecclesiastics  and 
(114) 


KAGINC.    rtJASANTS.  115 

proclaiiiHMl  tlint  a  Christian  man  is  l>y  viriiu'  of 
liis  faith  a  fret'  lord  over  all  tliin;^'s,  niultitinlcs 
wlio  IkkI  no  spiritual  aspirations  cauglit  U])  the 
cry  of  lilitrty,  ami,  ij^norini;  tlio  carrful  t-ountcT- 
-tatt'iucnt,  that  tlu' same  Christian  man  isl)y  virtue 
nf  his  lovt'  a  ministering  servant  of  all,  demanded 
in  the  name  of  the  Reft)nner  the  demolition  of 
the  whole  social  fahrie.  Carlstadt,  vanquished 
at  Wittenberg,  found  admittance  t(>  a  ])ul])it  in  the 
neijrhhoring  town  of  Orlamund,  and  hepui  anew 
the  i>roclamatit)n  of  his  revolutionary  i)rinciph's. 
Kxjx'hed  from  Saxon  territory,  he  traveled 
throuixh  Southern  (i(Tmany,  gaining  followers 
in  many  of  the  larger  cities,  lie  assailed  the 
Church  and  her  outward  ordinances,  holding  that 
true  religion  consists  in  a  withdrawal  of  the  soul 
within  itself,  a  losing  of  one's  self  in  dreamy  list- 
lessness,  thus  appealing  to  the  deep  mystical  ten- 
dency which  is  so  marked  a  trait  of  the  German 
national  character.  Yet  with  all  this  lauded  and 
unworldly  (piietude  he  comhined  a  spirit  of  reck- 
less violence,  maintaining  that  the  existing  laws 
must  he  ignored  and  the  ancii  iit  M<'-;iic  law  he 
rigidly  enforced.  Meanwhile  Thomas  Munzer, 
having  heen  expelled  from  Zwickau  early  in  1521, 
lia<l  heen  diligently  spreading  liis  fanatical  ideas 
and  gaining  a  large  following.  In  lo'J.S,  ho  set- 
tled at  Alstedt  in  Thuringia  and,  still  later,  in 
the  imi)erial  city  of  Miihlhausen.  lie  and  his 
.issociates  claimed  to  be  "overshadowed"  by  the 
Holy  Spirit,  to  receive  frequent  direct  revelations 
from  (lod  in  dreams,  and,  in  obedienc(»  to  these, 
they  procee<led  to  l)infl  the  "elect"  everywhere 
in  solemn  league,  not  only  for  tlu*  overthrow  of  all 
existing  authority,  but  for  the  actual  extermina- 
tion of  alhthe  ungodly,  /.  r.,  all  who  should  i^ot 
swear  allegiance  to  their  new  sjiiritual  kingdom. 


1  Iti  UTIIER,  THE   KEFORMER. 

riio  oaFO  with  which  such  hlindly  fanatical  notions 
were  propagated  is  one  of  the  nio^t  impressive 
evidences  of  tlie  dense  ignorance  and  superstition 
of  the  masses.  A  faithless  Church  had  lu'en  for 
centuries  sowinf^  to  tlie  wind,  and  must  now  reap 
tlie  wliirlwind. 

None  so  clearly  saw  tlie  terril)le  nature  of  the 

;itherin<r  storm  as  Luther,  lioldly  he  traversed 
the  disaffected  regions,  urging;  tlieiluty  of  suh- 
iiiissinii   tn  lawliil   authority.     At  Orlamund  the 

<  xcited    multitude   greeted    liim    with    jeers   and 

<  urses.  Carlstadt  and  Aliinzer,  as  chamj)ions  of 
the  i>eople,  assailed  him  in  more  hitter  terms  tlian 
had  ever  ))een  employed  hy  his  j»apal  antagonists, 

ikI  their  malignant  tracts  were  eagiTly  read  hy 
tlie  excited  multitude.  Luther  met  theui  with  all 
his  accustomed  vigor  in  liis  h-ngthy  treatise: 
'   Against  the  Heavenly  Prophets." 

l^arly  in  l'>2.'),  {]\r  jMasants  gatlierrd  in  aiiiiiy 
mohs  in  Swahia  and  Franconia  and  oth«r  regi«»ns 
where  Miinzer  had  i)repared  the  way.     The  hurgh- 

is  of  the  large  cities,  opj)ressed  hy  tlie  grasping 
merchants,  and  jealous  of  the  ])Ower  of  the  ])rinces, 
made  ccniimon  cause  with  tliem.  Their  dcmantls 
v.  ere  formulate<l  in  T^velve  Articles,  which  he- 

ime  the  standard  around  wliidi  all  the  discon- 
'••nted  elements  in  the  land  were  soon  rallying. 
These  articles  jiromincntly  demanded  unrestricte(l 
lil>erty  in  the  preacliing  of  tlie  (Jospel,  and  the 
right  of  every  congregation  to  ele<-t  its  own  pastor. 
Only  undercover  of  thi'se  Christian  j)ropopitions, 
learned  from  Liithcr,  aj)pear  the  sociahstic  and 
n-volutionary  prin(ij>les  which  were  the  real  mo- 
tives of  tlu!  \iprising.  Mingled  with  the  fanatical 
ideas  were  found,  however,  various  suggestions  of 
economic  ref(»rm  which  met  the  approval  of  Luther, 
and  which  a  later  age  Ikls  ( inhodied   in  the  statu- 


KAdlNC.    PEASANTS.  117 

f(»rv  lawp  of  (ItriiiMiiy.  Luther  at  once  jjrcparod 
a  response  to  tliis  piil»lic  (locuiiicnt,  cxprcssinj^ 
liis  jud^'iULnt  wiilioiit  fear  or  favor.  lie  pro- 
nounees  the  disorderly  asseinhhijres  of  the  j)easants 
Hi*  acts  of  open  and  mifjodly  insurrection,  hut  hiys 
the  chief  hlanie  U]»on  the  niercih'ss  exactions  of 
tlie  ruK'rs,  whom  lie  faithfully  warns  aL'ainst  con- 
linuin;^  thus  to  invite  the  terrihlc  visitations  of 
divine  wrath.  Then,  turning  to  th(^  i)easants,  he 
plrads  with  tlK'Ui  to  pursue  <»nly  orderly  methods 
for  the  redress  of  their  L^ievances. 

Ikit  all  pleading  was  in  vain.  The  multi- 
tudes continued  to  flock  together  throughout 
southern  and  central  Germany,  hurning  and  ])il- 
laging  on  every  hand.  Miinzer's  visions  hecame 
raj)turous.  It  was  revealed  to  him  that  victory  was 
just  at  hand  and  that  the  whole  order  of  the  world 
was  to  he  changed.  The  j)rinces  hesitated.  Should 
they  venture  to  me«'t  violence  with  force?  Vs'vrc 
they  ahle  to  (juell  this  almost  universal  uprising? 
Then  was  heard  a  commanding  voice  ahove  the 
din.  Although  the  ])easants  sang  and  prayed  and 
professed  to  he  contending  for  the  defence  of  the 
Gospel,  they  had  hecome  rohhers  and  murderers, 
and  must  he  suhdued  at  all  hazards.  Luther 
called  ui)on  the  princes,  regardless  of  their  relig- 
ious diiVerences,  on  the  hasis  of  the  secular  calling 
which  had  hcen  hestowed  upon  them,  to  draw  the 
sword  and  smite  the  rehels  to  right  and  left  with- 
out mercy.  To  preserve  the  j)eace  and  quell  dis- 
order he  pronounced  the  first  duty  of  the  civil 
ruler. 

At  length  the  princes  assumed  the  ofTensive. 
Philip  of  Hesse,  after  <iuelling  the  outhreak  in  his 
own  domini«»ns,  joined  his  forces  with  those  of  his 
father-in-law,  l)uk(;  (Jeorgc;  of  Saxony,  Duke 
Henry  of  Brunswick  and  the  Count  of  Mansfihl, 


]\^  LUTHER,  THE    KEKOHMER. 

ami  tho  iinitrd  army  was  soon  faco  to  face  witli  a 
band  of  .S(KM)  pt-asants  intniuli»<l  laliind  a  lino 
of  farm  wagons  at  Frankenhausen.  KlToits  at 
conciliation  were  maile  with  i)rosj)ects  of  succi'ss 
by  the  njjn'scntiitivo  of  tlu'  nuw  ckctor,  John  of 
Saxony,  and  by  Luther's  personal  friind,  tho 
Count  of  Mansfold,  when  the  arrival  of  Miinzor 
from  Miihlhausen  awakened  anew  the  frenzy  of 
the  multitude.  On  May  loth,  the  assault  was 
made;  the  insur^^nts  met  it  only  with  the  sinjrin^ 
of  a  hynni  to  the  Holy  (Ihost,  then  lied  in  ]»anie, 
Miuizer  himself  heiii<i  taken  ea|»tive.  The  Kleetor 
John,  haviuL,'  (|uiete«l  the  disorder  in  his  own  do- 
main without  bloodshed,  now  arrived  from  the 
south.  On  May  2oth,  Muhlhausen  surren- 
dered, an<l  Miinzer,  after  abjeet  confession  of  his 
errors,  was,  with  other  rinirkaders,  execute<l  upon 
the  field.  From  cam]>  to  camp  marcluHl  tho  vic- 
torious tn»ops.  Similar  scenes  were  enacted  in 
other  portions  of  the  land,  and  in  a  few  wi-eks  the 
insurrection  was  at  an  end.  Fearfid  was  the  ven- 
j^eance  of  the  princes,  njultitu<les  of  helpless  pris- 
oners beinjr  ruthlessly  slain,  apunst  the  earnest 
protest  of  Luther.  It  was  estimated  that  the 
movement  cost  the  lives  of  at  least  1(K),000  of  the 
infatuat4'd  peas:ints,  while  many  of  the  fairest 
portions  of  (lerniany  had  deen  devastated. 

Tlie  results  of  the,  insurrection  were  far- 
rea<liin«r  for  the  cause  of  the  Kcformation  and  in 
their  inlluence  upon  the  personal  career  (»f  Luther. 
The  fear  of  an  uprisin«rof  the  connnon  peoi)le  had 
for  years  re.<train(Hl  the  Roman  Catholic  ]>relates 
and  ])rinces  from  violent  measures;  but  now, 
flushed  with  victory  and  charLMnir  the  disturb- 
ance itself  to  the  teaching  (»f  Luther,  they  were 
eapT  to  crush  out  the  last  vesti^<'  of  the  l*'van- 
j:<'lical  party.     The  I'ope  sent  his  ctingratulations 


RAC;iN(;    PEASANTS.  119 

to  Philip  of  Ilesso  uj^on  tlic  \w\)\o  stand  which  he 
had  taken  a^'ainst  the  'Mni<;odly  Lutherans." 
On  July  WHh,  LVio,  a  leaj^'ue  was  formed  at 
Dessau  hetwcin  thr  j)rinces,  Cieor<:e  of  Saxony. 
Joaehini  of  lirainlenhurL'.  Alhert  of  Mayrnce,  and 
the  nukfs  of  Hrunswick  for  mutual  dcfiiier  and 
for  the  extermination  of  the  "accursed  Lutlx  ran 
sect." 

Meanwhile,  the  personal  influence  of  Luther 
had  Imcu  neutrali/A'd  in  many  tjuartcrs.  Not  a 
few  of  his  warmest  adherents  were  alienated  hy 
his  advocacy  of  the  use  of  the  sword,  failing;  t(» 
comprehend  his  doctrine  of  the  divine  riL'ht  of 
civil  rulers.  He  was  charjred  with  (lesertin«r  tlu' 
cause  of  the  j)()or  and  the  oj>])resscd  in  the  hour 
of  tlieir  sorest  need  in  order  to  gain  the  favor  of 
the  rulin<>:  classes.  Those  who  had  heen  won  hy 
his  fearless  denunciations  of  ojipression,  hut  who 
did  not  sympathize  with  his  religious  views, 
now  lost  all  interest  in  the  cause  of  the  Kefor- 
niation. 

From  t]ii<  time  onward,  Luther  ceased  to  be 
the  popular  hero  of  the  (Jerman  nation.  l'>ven 
his  life  was  fretpiently  threatened  hy  those  who 
liad  once  itlolized  his  name.  He  had  stirred  up 
in  turn  j)riests,  princes  and  peasants  to  hitterest 
enmity,  and  all  the  good  that  he  had  accom- 
plished seemed  to  he  forgotten.  Doctrinal  dis- 
putes ha<l  meanwhile  hopelessly  divided  the 
Kvangelical  party,  and  the  socialistic  agitation 
liad  left  W'ittenherg  almost  deserti'd.  The  l'>lector 
Frederick,  faithful  friend  and  ])rotector,  died  on 
^hly  5th,  and  was  huried  in  the  castle-church 
amid  the  lamentations  of  the  njultitude,  the 
funeral  services  being  conducted  l»y  Luther  and 
Melanchthon. 

Again  the    Uefoiiner   seemed    to    .-tand    alone. 


120  Ll'TlIKH,  THE    REFOKMEK. 

Ho  had  faced  the  fury  of  fanaticism  as  fearlessly 
as  he  liad  once  br.ived  the  thmuiers  i)f  the  iiapaev 
— had  smitten  wroni:  on  every  hand  until  tlie 
wln)lr  AVitrld  scrnicd  arrayed  apiinst  him.  It 
\va>  the  darkest  hour  in  tl"   lii-t..i\-  ..f  Luth«r. 


CIIAITKR  VTTT. 


llnLV     HONDS. 


Nkveii  was  the  dauntless  spirit  of  the  Re- 
former more  clftirly  nKUiit\'stt»l  than  in  these 
days  of  univei*sal  gloom.  \\'ith  (hinders  tliicken- 
ing  on  every  side,  he  wrote  to  a  friend  on  May 
4th:  "To  spite  the  devil,  I  mean  to  take  my 
Katie  to  wife  before  I  die.  They  sliall,  at  ail 
events,  not  roh  me  of  my  courage  and  good 
cheer."  Kvtm  this  most  ])t'rsonal  step  could  not 
In;  taken  without  direct  reference  to  the  reforma- 
tory work  to  whose  advancement  all  else  in 
Luther's  life  was  held  sul)ordinate. 

He  had  for  several  years  distinctly  maintained 
liberty  of  marriage  for  the  priesthood.  lie  ha»l 
encouraged  many  of  his  friends  to  avail  them- 
selves of  this  lii)erty,  hut  at  the  same  time 
wondered  at  their  temerity  in  assuming  tlie  re- 
sponsibility of  the  married  state  in  such  troublous 
times.  Ills  conception  ot  the  cares  and  bur<lens 
incident  to  wedd<'d  lif(»  was  such  as  almost  to 
overshadow  its  advantages.  When  extremists  at 
Wittenberg  pronounced  marriage  a  duty,  he  ex- 
claimed in  indignation:  "  They  shall  never  force 
a  woman  upon  me."  To  the  kind  incpiirv  of  a 
friend  in  November,  ]')24,  he  replied  that,  tiiough 
he  was  neither  wood  nor  stone,  and  his  heart  was 
in  the  hand  of  the  T.ord,  yet  he  had  no  thought 
of  marrying  and  should  not  do  so  unless  his  feel- 
ing in  the  matter  should  be  entirely  ihanged. 

\U\t  wlnii  friend  after  friend  assumed  the  sacred 
bonds,  anil  he  wa,s  pernntted  as  a  guest  to  share 
(11>1) 


122  LrTiiEii,  tin:  hkfohmer. 

tin*  warmth  and  l>rijrhtncss  of  tlioir  hap]\v  homos, 
insiuh  strikinjr contract  \\\\h  his  own  <:lcMnny  (juar- 
ters;  wht'n  ciuinij's  tauntL'<l  him  ]>uhH(ly  with 
cowardice  in  shrinking'  from  a  course  to  which  he 
hail  ur^'cd  so  many  others;  and  when  he  learned 
throuj^di  the  medium  of  trusted^riends  that  Cath- 
arine von  Bora,  one  of  the  escaped  nuns  of  the 
Nimj»tzseh  convent,  for  whom  lie  had  made  fruit- 
less etT«»rts  to  seeuri^  a  hushand,  would  ]»n)l)altly 
he  wiihn.i:  to  share  the  trials  of  his  own  l»>nrly  lot 
— his  resolution  wavered.  Mysterious  hints 
and  ])layful  l)anter  !•<  ;^an  to  eriej*  into  his  j>rivate 
correspondence,  and,  with  characteristic  hardi- 
hot)d,  just  when  his  ifrieiuls  were  all  tremhlin*:  in 
terror  and  his  foes  most  juhilant,  he  startled  the 
world  with  the  sudden  news:  "The  monk  of 
W'ittenherf]^  has  married  a  nun!" 

The  simple  marriage  rites  were  ]Mrf<>rm<'d  in 
the  monastery  in  tlic  ]»r(sence  of  lUi.^enha«:en, 
the  pastor  of  the  parish  church,  Justus  Jonas,  the 
provost  of  the  Inivcrsity,  a  lawyer  named  Ape), 
and  the  painter,  Lucas  Cranaeh,  with  his  wife,  on 
th<'  eveiiinj,'  of  June  VM\\.  The  marriage  fes- 
tivities to  which  a  lar<rer  nund)er  of  frien<ls.  in- 
chnhn*:  the  parents  of  Luther,  were  invited,  w«re 
held  two  weeks  later.  Venison  for  this  occasion 
was  furnished  hy  tlie  Elector;  the  town  council 
sent  a  keir  of  ICimiuck  hcer  and  twenty  gukli'iis; 
the  Lniversity  ]»resented  a  silver  cup  plated  with 
gold,  ami  the  LHiots  liroUL'ht  apprnpriati'  wcdilin^i- 
gifts. 

Tlic  public  announcement  of  the  event  f«.r 
the  time  heing  overshadowed  all  other  topics  of 
conversati(»n.  Knemies,  including  Krasmus,  at- 
trihuted  Luther's  whole  course  of  opi>osition  to 
the  Romish  church  to  his  passionate  frettin:' 
under  the  restraints  of  celihacy  and  his  admim- 


ifoI.Y    I'.oNDS.  l2'-> 

lion  for  tlic  "licaiitiful  nun"  (a  dcsij^nation 
wliirli  her  l)L'st  friiiuls  i-ould  scarcely  have  claimed 
for  Catharine),  while  his  Iririids  almost  without 
exception  lamented  the  step  as  lowerinj^  the  di^^- 
nity  of  the  j^reat  leader.  Those  least  disj)osed  to 
criticize  were  heard  to  say:  "If  it  oidy  had  not 
lia])pened  just  now,  or  if  he  had  chosen  some 
other  than  a  nun!"  Melanchthon  thou«iht  liis 
friend  heartless  to  indulge  in  we(Min«i:  festivities 
when  the  whole  land  was  in  m()urnin_L^  V>ui 
Luther  was  undisturhed.  He  had  the  a])proval 
of  his  conseienee,  his  father  and  his  (iod,  and  had 
been  enabhil  to  strike  another  sturdy  hlow  at  the 
foundations  of  the  perverted  system  of  the  paj)acy. 
Th«'  married  life  of  Luther  i>roved  a  hap]»y 
one.  lie  entertained  a  cordial  resj)ect  for  his  self- 
reliant  and  capable  com])anion,  whom  he  play- 
fully called  his  "Lord  Katie,"  and  to  whom  he 
committed  the  unreserved  charge  of  the  domestic 
economy.  Nor  was  it  a  slijrht  undertaking  for 
this  maiden  of  six  and  twenty  years  to  enter  into 
life-])artnership  with  so  famous  a  man,  her  senior 
by  sixteen  years,  accustomed  from  early  youth  to 
masculine  society  alone,  and  confirmed  in  his 
liabits  of  life  by  the  loufi:  discipline  of  a  monas- 
tery. But  Catharine  possessed  a  dauntless  spirit. 
Her  capacity  for  the  discharjie  of  household 
duties  had  )»een  displayed  in  the  home  of  the  city 
ejerk,  Keiehenbach.  Her  attractive  ])ersonality 
had  secured  her  marked  favors  at  the  hand  of 
Christian,  the  exiled  kintj  of  Denmark,  and  she 
had  always  been  perfectly  at  ease  in  the  ])resence 
"f  the  leanK'd  men  who  ^^athered  at  Wittenberjr. 
She  had  discovered,  too,  what  a  warm  heart  beat 
beneath  the  stern  exterior  of  the  Reformer,  and 
^he  had  never,  like  lier  associates,  felt  overawed 
in  his  presence.     He,  upon  his  part,  rei)elled  at 


IJI  IIIIIKK,   TIIK    HKKOUMEH. 

first  hy  her  dignity,  wliidi  ho  attrihultMl  to  prido, 
seems  to  have  Ikvii  won  at  lenjrtli  by  her  (hnision 
and  eandor.  If  slie  (Hd  not  enter  very  heartily 
into  the  tlieoloj^ical  disenssions  of  the  (hiy,  she 
yet  knew  tliat  Luther  was  always  right,  and  slie 
entertaine<l  a  hearty  aversion  to  the  tyranny  of 
that  ehureh  whieh  had  imprisoned  her  for  ten 
years  within  the  dingy  walls  of  a  eonvent.  Her 
liighest  amhition  now  w:i.s  to  ]>r(>ve  hcrsilf  a  nal 
helpmeet  to  her  overhunh'ned  husband. 

It  was  no  luxuriously-furnished  home  to 
which  the  bride  w:is  h-d.  F<>r  snim-  months 
Lnth(M-\s  only  assoeiat<'S  had  been  his  eloister- 
brother,  Jacob  Praepositus,  and  a  little  dog.  For 
more  than  a  year  no  one  had  made  the  Reformers 
l)ed.  There  were  still  dust-covered  dishes  in  the 
closet^!,  and  Iumv  and  there  some  pieces  of  modest 
furniture  which  the  departing  monks  had  hem 
unable  to  carry  with  them.  Onler  and  comfort 
now  (piickly  si)rung  into  being  at  the  magic  touch 
of  a  woman's  hand,  and  a  tone  of  rencwc«l  hope- 
fulness soon  l)ccame  noticeable  in  the  Reformer's 
bearing,  alternating,  however,  with  j)eriods  of  de- 
pression and  anticipations  of  approaching  death, 
lie  himself  found  it  dillicult  to  realize  that  he  was 
actually  a  married  man,  a  fact  of  which  Katie  was 
not  slow  to  remind  him  from  time  to  time,  lli^ 
work  went  on  without  interruption. 


CIIAPTKrv  IX 


KE-OROANIZATION    OF   TIIK   rinUCIL 

LrTllEu's  j»lan  of  iciticnt  tolcratiun  in  iii;itt<'rs 
of  extornal  form  luul  now  Ix'cn  pursiud  for  sev- 
eral years.  I'lulcr  the  faithful  i)r('ac-lunjT  of  the 
(lospel  and  the  l)ol<l  denuiieiation  of  ]>apal  ahiises, 
the  great  hotly  of  the  j^eople  at  \\'itten)>er«,^  ami  in 
many  other  centres  of  inlluenee  had  gradually 
lost  interest  in  the  old  forms  and  learned  to  tlnnk 
of  the  Church  as  independent  of  the  Roman  hier- 
arehy.  Released  from  their  ancient  hondage,  they 
were  scattered  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd. 

It  was  evident  that  the  time  had  come  lor  a 
re-organization  upon  the  hasis  of  evangelieal 
piineiples.  Arrangement  must  he  made  for  the 
supply  of  capahle  ministers  and  for  their  ade- 
(|Uate  support.  There  must  also  he  some  hond  of 
union  hetween  the  scattered  congregations,  and 
some  means  of  awakening  renewed  interest  in 
localities  where  the  poj>ulac(»  had  long  heen  in- 
(hlTerent  to  all  religious  life. 

Tlie  task  was  a  stupendous  one.  Lutlier 
shruid<  from  it,  not  only  hccause  he  himself  had 
little  talent  for  organization,  hut  heea use  he  feared 
that  the  new  life  of  the  Church  might  he  again 
stitle*!  under  a  system  of  outward  laws  and  regu- 
lations. He  dei^ired  to  allow  in  external  things 
the  largest  liherty  consistent  with  order  and 
(Hicient  oversight.  In  his  own  home,  Saxony, 
any  movement  in  this  direction  was  hindered  hy 
the  extremely  conservative  spirit  of  the  aged 
iHeetor,  who  pleaded  that  no  unnecessary  imio- 
(125) 


126  LrTIIEK,  TIIK    KEFOUMElt. 

vations  sIkhiUI  l)c  iiiade  in  worsliij)  or  the  govern- 
ment of  llic  conprejrationF  until  the  voiee  of  the 
Chureli  at  large  eould  he  heard  through  a  peneral 
couneil.  While  in  the  parish  chureh  at  Witten- 
})erg.  under  the  ininicdiatf  dinetinn  of  Luther, 
the  services  were  gradually  divested  of  nil  oh- 
jeetionahle  features,  the  castle  chureh  continued 
to  ohserve  all  the  ancient  cireinonies.  Nearly  a 
thousand  masses  for  souls  were  annually  cele- 
hrated,  and  o'>,(KX)  pounds  of  wax  were  hurned 
each  year  in  honor  of  departed  saints.  Luther 
could,  at  length,  no  longer  endure  this  inconsist- 
ency, and,  regardless  of  the  displeasure  of  the 
Klcx*tor,  he  denounced  from  the  ])ulpit  the  idolatry 
thus  enci»uraged  in  his  prince's  church.  After 
an  entire  year  of  ceaseless  and  determined  agita- 
tion, the  authorities  of  the  church  yielded  t<»  the 
force  of  jtuldic  ojtinion,  and  at  Christmas,  1024, 
the  masses  were  abandoned.  With  this  con- 
cession Luther  was  satisfied  for  the  time  being, 
although  in  all  other  j)oints  the  ancient  Romish 
customs  were  continued. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  heloved  Elector,  Fred- 
erick the  Wise,  the  accession  of  his  more  ])osi- 
tive  and  aggressive  I'rotlnr.  John  the  Sttndfast, 
opened  the  way  for  more  efficient  measures  of 
nform,  and,  despite  the  t<rrors  of  the  Peasant 
War,  then  just  inaugurated,  and  the  important 
changes  in  Luther's  ]»rivate  life,  the  latter  was 
not  slow  to  improve  the  j)r()vidential  oj)jK)rtunitv. 
Already  on  the  2(nh  of  May  he  s^nt  to  the 
camp  of  the  new  Elector  hifore  Miihlhausen,  a 
jilan  for  the  re-organization  of  the  I'niversity, 
which  at  once  received  cordial  cndoi-senicnt.  The 
popish  ceremonies  at  the  castle  church  were  now 
at  once  ahandon<'d,  and  spe<ial  instructions  issued 
to  pastor-   tlir..n"lM.nt  S;iv..nv  t..   i.i.  i.-l.  ..nU"  the 


KE-OKtJAMZATloN    (»F    TIIK    ClirUClI.  \  2~ 

)>uiv  (l«>sj)(l  aiul  to  ;i(liniiiistt'r  tlic  siUTainciits  in 
tlu'  fnrni  in  wliii-h  Chrisl  hud  institutfcl  tluni. 

On  October  'JOth,  :i  new  order  of  worship, 
prepaivil  hy  Luther  an<l  approved  hy  the  l-'lector, 
was  introdueed  into  the  })arish  ehureli  at  W'itten- 
l)eri;.  It  was  adaj)ted  particularly  to  the  exislin«^ 
cir«-uinstanct»S()f  the  eon^n-e^Mtion,  and  I^uther  did 
not  re;<ard  it  as  a  final,  tixed  form,  nor  did  he  de- 
sire that  "any  i)etter  orders"  in  use  elsewln're 
sln>uld  1)0  disjilaced  by  it.  The  use  of  vestments, 
candles,  etc.,  was  to  be  continued  "  as  long  as  they 
last,  or  until  we  choose  to  alter  them."  He  re- 
connnended  that,  for  the  sake  of  j^ood  order,  only 
•  •neformof  servict^  should  be  em]>loyed  in  each 
t  ity  or  |)rineii)ality.  His  own  formula  was  widely 
distrii)Uted  and  adopted,  with  «;reator  or  less  vari- 
ation, in  many  other  ])laces.  It  was,  however,  in 
direct  contravention  of  his  own  desire,  when,  in 
the  Lenten  season  of  1520,  an  electoral  mandate 
required  the  introduction  of  the  latter  throughout 
tlie  realm.  In  Southern  (lermany,  the  necessities 
<»f  the  case  had  already  led  to  tlie  adoption  of  var- 
ious forms  of  worship,  which  were  commonly 
simpler  an<l  prepared  with  less  regard  to  tradi- 
tional customs.  However  diversified  these  new 
orders,  tboy  were  all  distinctly  evangelical  in  char- 
aett  r,  and  tlieir  employment  in<licated  a  final  sep- 
aration from  the  Komish  church. 

P>ut  Luther  felt  that  far  more  essential  mat- 
ters than  these  demandetl  attention.  Most  im- 
portant of  all  was  the  proper  instruction  of  the 
jK'ople,  and  especially  th(i  training  of  the  young. 
To  this  end,  he  had  already  furnished  valuable 
<-ontributions  in  various  publications  which  after- 
wards formed  tlie  l)asis  of  his  catechisms.  It  was 
now  felt  tliat  there  should  be  some  system  ot  reg- 
ular i)v<r<ldit,      Tin-  bi-li(.i.^  bad   lull"  iH-Lrlectod 


128  UTiiKH,  TiiK  i{KF(H{Mi:n. 

tlioir  dutio?,  and  tlic  masses  of  tin*  jxojilo  wvra 
sunken  in  almost  incndil*!^  ignorance.  LutliiT 
]\in\  liimsi'lf,  in  1524,  visitoil  a  ninnlxT  of  commu- 
nitit's  and  learned  from  his  own  o!)8ervation  how 
8ore  was  the  need  of  spiritual  traininjr.  He  now 
enlled  upon  the  Elector  and  )»rinees  of  the  realm  to 
act  as  "  emerjxeney  hishops"  in  estahlishinj?  j)as- 
toral  districts,  ap])ointini:  ministers,  and  or^^aniz- 
\n*l  schools,  basin«r  their  ri^rht  to  act  in  such  mat- 
tirs.  not  upon  their  secular  ollices.  hut  uj)on  their 
posititui  as  the  most  iiillucntial  nmonir  the  p'Ueral 
congrej^ation  of  helievers.  When  the  jjrinces  re- 
fused to  undertake  such  work,  he  urged  congropja- 
tions  to  pclect  from  their  own  numher  competent 
men  and  solenmlv  set  these  a|»art  as  pastoi*s  to 
administer  the  Word  and  sacraments.  In  some 
cases,  the  councils  of  cities  in  which  evangelical 
views  were  in  the  ascendancy  assumed  the  author- 
ity of  calling  ministers.  Luther  ajjproved  of  all 
these  methods,  well  content  when  in  any  onlerly 
way  the  (Jospel  was  permitted  to  have  free  course 
among  the  people.  He  as  little  thought  of  de- 
nian<ling  uniformity  in  church  organization  as  in 
liturgical  formulas. 

In  Saxony,  tlu'  cordial  sympathy  of  the  court 
opened  to  the  Reformers  a  witlc  Held  of  usefulness. 
Committees  of  visitation  were  a|)point»'d,  tinhrae- 
ing  theologians  and  laymen,  Luther  and  .Mclanch- 
thon  themselves  accepting  tin  ir  share  nf  tlu' active 
w<»rk.  The  formal  visitation,  hegiiming  in 
1527,  revealed  a  state  of  spiritual  destitution  far 
heyond  all  anticipations.  Ignorant  tradesmen 
who  had  for  years  hei'U  acting  as  ivomish  priests, 
falling  in  with  tin-  popular  current,  had  ])rof«'ss«'*l 
adherence  to  the  ( lospel,  hut  were  imahle  to  preach 
— in  some  eases,  couhl  not  even  read.  The  rude 
peasantw  had  in  n)any  places  lost  all  regard  for  re- 


RE-UKCAMZATIUN    OV    TlIK    ('HrK(  II.  1 'JD 

lij^on,  :in<l  were  so  utterly  altaiulonc*!  t«»  vice  that 
tlio  visitors  drspaired  of  c'lTirtinf]^  their  reformation 
and  directed  tlieir  own  etTorts  almost  entirely  to 
the  reselling:  of  the  ehildnii. 

Many  practical  difficulties  were  oncounterod. 
The  peasants,  freed  from  the  exactions  of  the 
hishops,  were  unwilling  to  make  any  free-will  of- 
ferings for  the  support  of  an  evangelical  ministry, 
an<l  the  ])ro])erty  of  the  monasteries  had  been 
already  in  great  part  apj^ropriated  hy  the  secular 
]>rinces.  The  local  noliility,  many  of  whom  still 
held  allegiance  to  the  liomish  church,  eiaime<l  the 
right  of  appointing  the  ])arish  ])riests,  or  j)astoi*s. 
Melanchthon,  almost  in  desi>air  at  the  })revail- 
ing  disorder,  wius  at  times  ready  to  compromise 
with  the  hishoj»s,  allowing  the  re-instatement 
of  the  ancient  ceremonies  and  of  the  episco- 
j>al  authority,  if  but  the  free  preacliing  of  the 
(lospel  shcuild  be  conceded.  The  Instructions 
for  Church  Visitors,  prejtared  by  him,  was  made 
the  basis  of  a  moic  general  and  tliorough  prosecu- 
tion of  the  Work  in  the  following  year.  The  organ- 
izing talent  of  Bugenhagen,  the  ])astor  at  Witten- 
berg, rendered  invaluable  service,  as  also  the 
coun.sels  of  the  practical  Hausman,  under  whose 
alile  ministry  almost  the  entin;  ])opulation  of 
Zwickau  had  been  won  to  the  side  of  the  Reforma- 
tion. Similar  efforts  in  other  portions  of  (Jermany 
were  influenced  more  or  less  directly  by  the  j)rin- 
eiijhs  amiounced  in  Saxony,  and  thus  the  evangel- 
ical movement  LMadually  as-uiiicd  something  like 
a  definite  and  permanent  form,  by  its  inherent 
power  superseding  tlu-  everywhere  discredited 
jurisdiction  of  the  Homish  bisho|>s.  When,  in 
1521),  the  catechisms  of  Luther  appeared,  they 
found  a  cordial  rweption  and  formed  an  in- 
di4>solul)le  bond  oi  spiritual  unity  between  the 
9 


l.'^O  H'TIIKR,   TIIK    HKFORMER. 

8oatt('ro<l  congrej?atinnH  throughout  (irrni.iny.  In 
our  own  day,  the  rhunh  \'isitalinns  (tf  Sax«»ny 
from  l.'>24  to  152*),  witli  all  thcaiixiity  ami  uncon- 
jrcnial  toil  which  tliey  inv<»lv(.Hl  u|M»n  the  i»art  of 
many  noble  men,  are  remembered  ehielly  as  liaving 
given  occasion  for  tlie  j>rei)aration  of  this  little  vol- 
ume, whieli  has  done  more  than  all  other  writinjrs 
of  the  Reformer  to  j;ive  unity  of  faith  to  the  pri'at 
and  frrowinj:  connnunion  which  yet  hears  his 
name.  The  fact  is  a  most  impressive  illustration 
of  the  j>rinci|ile,  that  not  or^^anization,  hut  char 
statement  of  the  truth,  is  the  surest  basis  uf  abid- 
ing power. 


CHAi'Ti:i:  \. 


•oi.rriCAL    EVENTS. 


Tlow  was  it  jtossible  for  those  bold  measures  of 
rcfoiiii  to  ln'  prostvuted  in  a  land  povcmcd  by 
a  lionian  C'atliolic  Knipcror  and  the  l^)pe?  The 
<lii('stion  rcijuircs  us  to  glance  at  the  course  of 
political  events. 

Upon  the  death  of  Leo  X.,  in  December,  1521, 
the  papal  dignity  was  conferred  uj)on  Adrian, 
who,  having  been  the  religious  instructor  of  the 
Knjpcror,  might  be  expected  to  find  in  the  latter 
a  willing  tool  in  the  enforcctncnt  of  extreme 
measures  against  the  new  heresy.  The  legate  of 
the  new  Poi)c,  a])pearing  at  tlic  Diet  of  Nurem- 
berg in  1522.  denianded  tlie  strict  enforcement  of 
the  K<lict  of  \\'orms,  denouncing  Luther  as  worse 
than  Mohammed.  He  urged  tlie  immediate 
arrc»st  of  the  beloved  pastor,  Osiandcr,  and  the 
other  evangelical  jireachers  of  Nuremberg.  The 
lK)ld  denunciation  of  tliis  ])roposition  by  the  en- 
raged citizens  antl  their  (hterminati(»n  to  i)rotect 
tlu'ir  ]>astors  at  all  hazards  revealed  to  the 
assembled  ])rinc<'s  the  temper  of  the  ])eople  at 
large,  and  the  afTrighted  legate,  laying  asi(h'  his 
haughty  air,  began  to  pose  as  a  "martyr"  in  the 
midst  of  a  j)erseeuting  rabble.  Although  the 
majority  of  the  Diet  were  zealous  adherents  of  th(^ 
estal)hshed  order,  they  "feared  the  people"  and 
had,  moreover,  various  grievances  of  tlicir  own 
which  they  were  anxious  to  have  j)ublicly  dis-. 
cussed.  They  therefore  finally  agreed  that  the 
Lutheran  errors  couM  be  exterminated  oniv  by  a 

Ci;u; 


132  M'TIIKl:,   THK    ItFFOHMEFl. 

general  council  held  on  German  soil,  in  which 
eviTV  one  jjIiouM  he  enjoined  to  speak  out  what 
he  helieved  to  he  ''divine  and  (Jos[)el  truth." 
This  ollieial  deelaration,  made  within  eigliteen 
months  after  the  eondenmation  at  Worms,  was  a 
n(»tal)le  testimony  to  the  progress  of  Luther's 
cause. 

When  tlie  Diet  re-assembled  at  Nurem- 
berg, in  1521,  llic  evan<^elieal  preachers  j»f  the 
eity  had  hecoine  ]K)lder,  and  adininistere<l  the 
conmiunion  in  l)oth  elements  U)  tliousands  of  per- 
sons, conspicuous  anionic  the  throni^  l)ein«x  the 
Queen  of  Denmark,  a  sister  of  the  Km|)eror  and 
Ferdinand.  The  Pope,  throui^li  his  ie<:ate,  a«rain 
dcmandeil  the  execution  of  the  KtUct  of  Worms, 
l»ut  was  ohliired  to  he  content  with  the  assuram-e 
that  it  should  he  exei'uted  "as  far  as  po.<sil>le. " 
Arran<:ein«>nts  were  tlien  holdly  made  for  a  "<^en- 
eral  a.^soml>ly  of  tlie  (ierman  nation,"  to  he  held 
at  Spires  in  the  autumn  of  the  s;ime  year.  Thi.s 
compromise  satisfied  no  one.  Luther  at  onee 
pul)lishe(l  the  e<Iict  with  annotations,  denouncing 
in  sc^ithini,'  terms  thi'  inconsistency  of  first  sanc- 
tioning Ills  ccmdemnation  and  then  arranging  for 
an  examination  of  his  teachings.  The  Pope  hit- 
t<'rly  complained  of  the  pn'sum|»tion  of  theder- 
mans  in  c:illing  a  council  without  his  advice, 
while  the  Emperor  declared  the  edict  void  and 
prohihit<^<l  th(^  proposi-d  gathering.  Thus  per- 
isiiecl  the  last  hope  of  the  peaceful  organiz:ition  of 
Germany  jus  a  political  power. 

In  July,  LVil,  under  the  leadership  of  the 
[)apal  legate,  Cainpeggio,  a  partisan  league  of 
Catholic  princes  was  f«»rmetl  at  Ratisbon,  in 
^vhich  the  <'onfederates  resolved  that  n«»t  the 
slightest  deviation  from  the  prescrihed  order  of 
Worship  should  he  t4)lerated  in  their  domains,  and 


POLITKAL    KVKNTS.  133 

l»le<l<;e(l  tlirir  unitt'd  clYorts  for  the  utter  extinction 
of  tlie  Lutheran  heresy.  IJoth  Pope  and  Emperor 
eiinhally  approved  this  action,  wliich  must  of 
course  compel  the  ori^anization  of  the  evangrUcal 
prin<-es  in  self-defence. 

Philip,  the  energetic  youn«^  Mari^ravi*  of  Ile.'^so, 
havim,'  l)een  won  for  the  cause  of  the  Ueformation 
lari^ely  throu^^h  a  conversation  with  Melanchthon 
it  an  accidental  mcetinj<  upon  a  journey,  formed 
an  alliance  with  the  Elector  of  Saxony  at  Gotha 
in  Fehruary,  lo2o,  which  was  joined  hy  other 
princes  at  Mag:<lel)urg  in  the  following;  Juno,  and 
l»eeame  the  l)asis  of  a  formal  league  of  all  the 
Evangelical  Estates,  including  the  laruje  cities, 
conrlu'l""!  at  Torgau  in  Feljruary,  1520. 

Thus,  by  the  action  of  the  papal  party,  the 
nation  had  l)een  divided  into  two  distinctly 
liostile  camps  when  the  Diet  lussemhled  at  Spires 
in  June,  1526.  It  was  now  no  longer  Luther 
who  was  t(3  be  subdue<l,  hut  a  valiant  hand  of 
princes,  supported  by  the  foremoHt  cities  of  the 
realm,  and  resolved  under  no  circumstances  to 
surrender  their  (Jospt'l  liberty  and  how  their 
necks  again  beneath  the  yoke  of  papal  bondage. 
The  church  (pU'Sti<»n  took  precedence  of  all  others. 
It  appeared,  for  a  time,  as  though  an  undi-rstan*!- 
ing  might  l)e  reached  by  which  both  parties  slutuld 
l>e  tolerated  until  the  sunnnoning  of  the  general 
< ouncil  whieh  the  Pope  and  Enii)cror  had  so  often 
agreed  to  call.  Just  upon  tin?  eve  of  the  adoption 
'•f  such  an  agreement,  the  presiding  oflicer,  Ferd- 
inand, produce*!  an  imperial  httrrof  instructions, 
iM'.iiinLT  ,l:itc  (.f  .March  27th,  whieh  strictly  forbade 
any  action  in  regard  to  the  I'Mict  of  W'ornjs  or 
any  decision  of  pending  church  «piestions.  This 
was  rightly  interpret«'d  :is  indi<'ating  the  purpose 
'<t"  the  ICmpeior  to  enforce  the  lou-j-'le-piscd  edict 


134  LUTIIEU,  TlIK    RKFOKMER. 

without  fiirtlnT  parley;  Imt  the  princes  sliriwdly 
suspected  that  the  eoiirse  (►[  mure  recent  events 
mi^dit  have  already  weakened  the  imperial  ri'so- 
lution.  The  letter  was  written,  they  ohservetl, 
under  the  stimulus  of  the  Peace  of  Madrid,  when 
the  Kin«r  of  France  was  a  prisoner  in  the  hands 
of  the  Kmperor,  and  the  latter  was  upon  cordial 
terms  with  the  Pojm'.  Since  then,  the  wheel  of 
politieal  fortune  had  reversed  the  situation.  The 
released  Kin«^  of  France  and  the  I'ope  were  now 
in  leai^ue  ai^'ainst  the  Empi'ror,  who  mi<;ht 
urj^ently  need  the  «;ood-will  of  all  his  (ierman 
suhjects.  It  was  therefore  formally  decreed  that, 
until  the  calling'  of  the  council,  every  one  should 
'•  so  act  in  matters  relating;  to  the  Edict  of  Worms 
as  to  he  able  to  render  an  account  to  (Jod  and 
the  Km})en>r."  As  anticipated,  the  I'jnperor  was 
too  larj^ely  occupied  witli  his  wider  political  com- 
plications to  assert  his  jxjwer  in  Clermany,  and 
for  the  next  three  years  the  work  of  instruction 
and  organization  })roeeeded  unhinderi  <1  under  the 
protection  of  the  hr(»ad  Edict  of  Toleration. 
Meanwhile,  the  drift  of  j)uhlic  st  ntiment  was 
steadily  in  the  (lirection  of  evan^relical  liherty,  and 
the  hearts  of  the  Tn  fnrniers  Wt-re  eheere«l  hy  many 
notahle  advances.  Albert  of  Brandenburg,  the 
(Irand  Master  of  the  famous  ( Ierman  Order,  under 
the  a<lvice  of  Luther,  transformed  his  domini()ns 
into  a  stvular  duchy,  severed  all  relati(»ns  with  the 
]»apaey,  and  made  provisi»»n  for  the  rej^ular 
preaching  of  the  pure  (iospel,  tlius  laying:  tlw 
foundation  of  the  powerful  I'rotrstant  state  of 
Prussia.  One  hy  one,  the  cities  of  Lower  Ger- 
many fell  into  line,  and  their  church  life  was 
or;,'ani/,ed  in  many  cases  hy  personal  friends  of 
liUthtr,  while  the  hynms  of  the  latter  on  the  lips 
of  th(*  people  hnre  down  hrfore  them  all  oppo,^iti(»n. 


niAPTKK  XI 


PERSONAL    AFKLKTIONS. 


TiiK  yoars  lo'iO  mid  1 ')i^7  cover  a  pi'ri(»(l  of  ])e- 
culiar  trial  fertile  Krfnniicr.  lie  sullVrcfl  from 
a  nuinl)er  of  physical  ailments,  some  of  wliirli 
were  accompanied  with  excruciating  pain,  others 
with  fulness  and  rin<;ing  sounds  in  the  head, 
tightness  ui)on  the  chest  and  fainting.  These  at- 
tacks now  hecame  more  frecjuent  and  serious, 
Iteing  usually  })reeeded  hy  seasons  of  great  sjtir- 
itual  (le])ressi()n,  which  he  himself  regarded  as 
direct  assaults  of  the  devil,  and  in  which  he  de- 
(  lare<l  that  lie  ex])erienced  the  very  tortures  of 
hell.  At  such  times,  he  would  sunmion  his 
friends  to  comfort  him,  and  receive  ahsolution  at 
the  hands  of  liis  ])astor.  With  the  actual  out- 
hreak  of  the  physical  symptoms,  his  inward  agony 
gave  j)lace  to  calm  and  triumphant  faith. 

In  July,  lo'JT,  after  a  severe  attack  of  his  mal- 
ady, he  felt  convinced  that  his  end  was  at  hand. 
To  his  friends  he  then  expressed  himself  as  ready 
to  obey  the  Master's  summons,  although  he 
would  gladly  remain  to  help  ihem  light  the  Lord's 
hattles  against  the  Fanatics.  He  acknowledged 
that  lie  had  often  written  harshly,  hut  insisted 
that  he  had  done  so  only  to  terrify  the  hlas- 
ijlK'mei-s.  "(iod  knows,"  he  declared,  *'that  T 
have  wished  harm  to  no  one."  More  trying  still 
to  his  earnest  spirit  was  the  weakness  which  en- 
sue<l,  incapacitating  him  for  rea<ling  or  writing, 
and  compelling  him  to  lose  many  ])recions  hours. 

At  just  ahout  this  time,  also,  the  pestilence 
(i:5o) 


13G  LITIIKH,  TIIK    RKFOinrER. 

l>roki'()ut  at  Witt('nlMr<;.  The  University  was  ro- 
iiiovtH.1  to  Jena,  and  Luther  was  iir<:('il  to  accom- 
pany his  associat«'S.  As  pastor  of  the  parish 
chureli,  however,  ho  felt  ImuukI  to  remain,  and, 
despite  his  own  weakness,  he  was,  with  Hui^rn- 
haj^'en,  the  associate  pastor  of  tlie  vilhip\  unre- 
mitting in  Ids  attentions  to  the  sick.  The  wife 
'  'f  the  hur;j:omaster  died  ahuost  in  his  arms.  Two 
women  in  Ins  own  h(>me  fell  sick  with  the  disease. 
His  wife  w;ls  helpless,  and  the  care  <»f  their  infant 
sun,  Hans,  occasioned  the  greatest  anxiety.  The 
hirth  of  a  dauirhter  (Klizaheth),  while  welcomed 
with  dclii^dit  as  a  ray  of  sunshine  amid  th"  dark- 
ness, did  not  lij^liten  the  hurden  of  r«'Sponsil>ility 
resting  upon  the  isolated  household.  ''Conllict 
without  and  terrors  at  home,  thus  tloes  Christ  try 
us,"  he  exclaimed,  *'hut  one  comfort  remains, 
with  which  we  can  o]>posc  the  nging  Satan — we 
have  the  Word  for  tlie  salvation  of  the  souls  of 
tliem  that  helieve,  even  though  he  devours  their 
hodies."  Under  these  circumstances,  he  rejoiced 
greatly  when  Hugenhagen,  whose  house  had  be- 
come infected,  moved  with  his  family  into  the 
monast<ry.  Several  children,  also,  whose  parents 
had  fallen  victims  to  the  scourge,  here  found  a 
refuge. 

It  appears  to  have  heen  amid  these  trying 
-eenes  that  the  indt)mital>le  faith  of  Luther  in- 
-i»ind   tlie  nohlest  of  his  poetic  productions,  the 

I.  at  Battle-hymn  of  the  Reformation:  "A 
Mighty  Fortress  is  our  (lod."  Although  ha.seti 
upon  I*salm  xlvi,  it  is  hy  no  means  a  mere  re|)n)- 
luetion  of   the    inspire(l    original,    hut    rather   a 

pontaneoUH  outl»urst  of  the  ileeixst  feelings  of 
LutluT  himself,  like  him  in  its  rugged  simplicity 
of  diction — like  him  in  its  lM»ld  defiance  of  all  the 
|M)wers  of  evil  and  in  its  joyous  confidence  in  the 
final  victory  of  the  **  Lon!  (lod  of  H..st**." 


(■iiAP'n:K  XII. 

Tl  I  K    SACRA  M  KNT AL    CONTUOVEUSY. 

ScAKiKLY  liad  the  Rcformatinn  l)(';^'\in  to  assert 
its  power  as  a  ^reat  ])0})iilar  movement,  wlicii 
there  arose  a  controversy  in  the  ranks  of  its  ad- 
herents wliich  diverted  the  attention  of  many 
from  the  ^m-at  fundamental  (juestions  at  issue  and 
wrouLdit  untold  injury  to  the  cause.  Strangely 
enougli,  the  Holy  Supper,  instituted  by  our 
Lord  as  a  bond  (»f  union  anionu'  l)elievers,  became 
the  occasion  of  dissensions  uhieli  alienated  the 
h'aders  of  the  evangi'lical  movement  in  that  day 
and  have  ever  since  divided  the  great  Protestant 
hnst.  This  sad  fact  can  be  understood  only  in 
the  light  of  j)receding  history. 

The  Koman  Catholic  Church  had  taught  tlie 
doctrine  of  transubstantiation,  that  is,  that  in 
the  act  of  consecration  by  the  priest  the  bread 
used  in  the  Lord's  Sup]>er  is  transformed  into  the 
verita}>le  ihsh  of  the  Saviour's  body,  and  the 
wine  into  His  blood.  The  sacred  wafer,  or 
"host,"  was  then  "elevated"  for  adoration  and 
oiTered  to  (Jod  anew  in  sacritice  by  the  ])ricst. 
This  'sacrifice  of  the  mass"  was  supposed  to 
lie  especially  acceptable  to  (lod,  securing  from 
Him  remission  of  sins  for  those  in  whose  b(>half 
the  sacrilice  was  made.  The  celebration  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  thus  l)ecamo  a  "good  work,"  or 
means  of  gaining  the  divine  favor.  It  did  not 
rrijuin^  the  ]»articipation,  nor  ev<n  the  presence, 
of  tlie  ])ersons  to  be  benelited.  The  agency  of  the 
])rie.-«t  alone  was  n( cessarv.  and  this  eould  be  se- 
(137) 


138  U'TIIER,  ThK    IlKFORMER. 

ciin'<l — for  tlic  liviiiir  <»r  for  the  «l(':i<l,  f«»r  a  term 
t>f  ycai-s  or  "in  j>crp('tii<) " — by  the  donation  of 
money  to  the  cofTers  of  the  Church.  In  connec- 
tion with  every  cathedral  or  monastery  there 
were  shrines  at  wliicli  private  masses  were  said, 
and  the  endowment  of  these  was  a  fruitful  source 
of  the  Church's  revenu<'. 

In  this  "idolatry  of  the  mass"  was  concen- 
tratt'd  the  whoK'  perverted  development  of  the 
pai»al  church.  Here  was  the  citadel  of  the 
enemy — the  stron^diold  of  the  system  (tf  Siilva- 
tion  hy  works.  If  salvation  hy  faith  was  to  l»e 
maintained,  the  Reformers  must  i)rescnt  some 
radically  difTerent  view  of  tlie  Lord's  8uj>]ier. 
They  are  not  responsihle,  therefore,  for  makinjr 
the  saere<l  ordinance  a  suhjeet  of  strife.  It  had 
hcMii  ))ound  in  a  worse  than  ''  Hahylonian  ca])tiv- 
ity,"  and  they  were  com|>elled  to  address  tlu^m- 
selves  to  the  task  of  freeing'  it  from  its  fetters  of 
human  tradition. 

lk'ne:ith  the  Ihiirrant  error  and  ahuse  lay,  how- 
ever, a  great  truth,  i.  e.,  the  presence  of  the 
lyord  Ilimsi'lf  in  the  H()ly  Su]»]>er.  II<>w  was 
this  presen<'e  to  he  conceived? 

Luther  at  first  accepted  without  «piestionin<r  the 
traditional  theory  of  transuhstantiation.  He  very 
~ooi],  however,  foUowin^^'  a  hint  received  from  the 
uritinjfs  of  D'Ailly,  ri'alized  that  there  is  no  ne- 
cessity for  ima^inin*;  a  miraculous  transformation 
of  the  elements,  nor  for  discre<litinj^  the  testimony 
<»f  our  own  sen.scs,  which  so  clearly  attest  that  the 
l>read  and  wine  remain  unchanu'cd.  The  I/onl's 
ImmIv  is  a  sj)iritual  l>o«ly,  and  could  he  present 
just  as  well  unseen  with  the  earthly  elements 
f  He  can  he  present  (  veryulic  re  wlim  and  as  He 
\Nill.  This  conception  seeme«l  to  Luther  to  meet 
ill    the   re(|uireiin  nts   of  the   scriptural    laiiL'Uat'e 


THE   SACKAMKNTAL    CONTROVERSY.  139 

concerning'  the  ordinance,  iind,  at  tlu'  same  time, 
to  explain  tlie  importance  attached  to  it  hy  tlie 
Saviour  and  its  acknowledged  ])()wer  to  comfort 
and  .strengthen  the  liumlde  communicant.  From 
this  simple  conception  he  never  afterwards  wav- 
ered. To  maintain  it  intact  was  his  sole  ohject  in 
the  wearisome  controversies  which  ensued. 

But  this  exj)lanation  of  tlie  sacred  ordinance,  so 
satisfying  to  the  child-like  faith  and  deej)  mysti- 
cal nature  of  Luther,  was  not  to  stand  unchal- 
lenged. Already  in  the  summer  of  1522,  a  letter 
was  addressed  to  Luther  by  a  theologian  of  Hol- 
land, named  Honius,  arguing  tliat  the  words  used 
hy  Christ  in  instituting  the  Sup])er  arc  to  he  in- 
tr'ri)reted  tiguratively  and  do  not  at  all  imply  His 
iH.dily  ]»resence.  The  views  of  the  Bohemian 
Brethren  were  also  calli'd  to  his  attention  us  lack- 
ing in  clearness  and  strongly  inclining  to  a  rejec- 
tion of  imj)ortant  aspects  of  this  doctrine.  Carl- 
stadt  and  his  fanatical  associates  went  much 
farther.  When  not  des])ising  the  sacrament  alto- 
gether, they  regarded  it  as  simply  a  memorial 
meal,  whose  chief  advantage  lay  in  the  rapt  con- 
templation of  Christ  upon  the  jmrt  of  the  recip- 
ient. To  some,  it  was  merely  an  o]>portunity  for 
a  renewal  of  their  ])rofession  of  faith,  or  a  badge 
of  loyalty.  To  the  most  radical,  it  was  a  mere 
ceremony,  utterly  needless  in  the  case  r)f  those 
who  had  attained  to  real  s]>iritual  life,  and  who 
could  commune  with  (Jod  directly  without  (he  in- 
tervention of  any  outward  means. 

Against  these  views,  Luther  maintained  that 
God  deals  with  us  only  through  special  ext<'rnal 
means  of  His  own  apjiointment;  tliat  the  Lord's 
Supper  is  a  transaction  in  whicli  (lod  hestows  a 
gift  and  man  is  merely  the  reci|)ient;  that  the  gift 
l)«*stowed  is  the  foTL'iveness  of  sins  and  a  share  in 


1  }0  I.rTHKH,   TIIK    KKroKMKH. 

the  fc'llDWsliip  of  C'lirist  an<l  His  saints;  that  the 
IhkIv  of  Christ  is  truly  jjiven  as  a  seal  and  j)h'(Ijr(» 
of  the  iniparte<l  spiritual  hlessin*:.  He  would 
have  men  "direetly  and  ini]>licitly  helieve  that  in 
the  sacrament  of  the  altar  the  hody  an<l  l)lood  of 
Christ  arc  truly  present,  and  that  we  shouhl  not 
in<iuire  further  how  or  in  what  form  they  are  i)res- 
ent,  since  Christ  has  not  told  us  esjx'eially  any- 
thinji  ahout  that."  Had  this  counsel  heen  ^^mut- 
ally  heeded,  what  interminable  controversies 
would  have  been  avoided,  and  how  diiTerent  would 
liave  been  the  history  of  the  Protestant  church! 

But  when  Carlstadt  began  to  publish  flippant 
misinterpretations  of  the  words  of  institution,  to 
ridicule  the  eonseeration  of  the  elemi-nts.  and  deny 
that  the  eeU-bration  of  the  Sup])er  had  any  rela- 
tion to  the  f(trgiveness  of  sins,  the  indignation  of 
Luther  was  stirred,  and  he  denounced  in  vigorous 
terms  the  ignorant  luu'dc  who,  in  tlu-ir  blind  zeal, 
sought  to  exclude  the  Lord  from  His  own  ordi- 
nance. 

In  the  year  \i)24,  word  was  brought  to  Luther 
that  Zwingli,  the  Swiss  Reformer,  had  adopted 
Carlstadt's  view.  About  the  same  time,  GEco- 
lampadius.  a  former  jtujiil  and  warm  friend  of 
Luther,  now  j)rea«hing  in  Strassl>urg,  and  Martin 
Bucer,  also  a  firm  friend  of  the  l\ef<»rmation,  an- 
nounced that  they  no  longer  believid  in  the  bodily 
presenile  of  tlie  I^)rd  in  the  Holy  Supper.  They 
cjuoted  against  it  irrelevant  passages,  such  a.s  "the 
llesh  proliteth  nothing,"  and  argued  that  the  body 
of  Christ  could  not  be  in  so  many  places  at  one 
time,  nor  could  it  be  anywlure  (»n  earth,  since  it 
)iaH  ascended  visibly  to  Heaven. 

These  scholarly  assaidts  conipelle<l  Luther  to 
imdertake  an  exhaustive  study  of  the  subject. 

W'itli    k.  .  n.  >i    In-i.       li.'   ^..i;/]m    t..    Iiiret    eViTV   erill- 


TIIK    SACKA.MKNTAL    CoNTKOVKUSY.  Ml 

cisin  aiul  carefully  (U'voloped  his  own  view.  ir<! 
endeavored  to  show  how  Christ's  hody  eould,  hy 
pharinj;  in  the  attrihiites  of  the  divine  nature,  l>e 
j)resent  in  lu-aven  and  also,  at  the  same  time,  at 
many  ]»laces  upon  earth,  and  stoutly  maintained 
that,  wliether  his  particular  theory  ))e  acce})ted  or 
not,  all  Christians  are  hy  the  sim])le  langua«re  of 
Christ  hound  to  reeo<j:nize  that,  in  some  way,  1 1  is 
hody  is  present  and  distrihuted  wherever  the  sac- 
rament is  properly  administered.  His  interest 
deepened  as  the  strife  })roceeded,  and  he  became 
thorou.irhly  convinced  that  the  views  of  his  op- 
jM)nents  spranj^  from  an  exaltation  of  reason  above 
the  sim])le  divine  Word,  and  that  they  were  in 
conflict  with  the  fundamental  doctrine  of  the  in- 
s<*]»aral)le  union  of  the  human  and  divine  natures 
in  the  person  of  Christ. 

He  was  the  more  ready  to  condemn  the  views 
of  his  distinguished  antagonists  since  he  had  |»re- 
viously  met  them,  supj)orted  largely  by  the  very 
same  arguments,  in  connection  with  the  fanatical 
vagaries  of  Carlstadt  and  Miinzcr.  lie  regarded 
the  (;ntire  movement  as  essentially  one — a  fresh 
outl)rcak  of  the  very  tendencies  which  he  had  so 
earnestly  combated  in  the  Pioman  Catholic 
church,  transforming  an  ordinance  of  God's  free 
grace  into  a  work  of  human  merit:  The  sacra- 
ment of  the  Ix)rd*8  Supper  seemed  to  him,  as  be- 
fore, the  point  upon  which  all  the  new  forms  of 
error  converged,  and  lie  boldly  met  the  issue  by 
planting  himiself  firmly  here,  and  treating  all 
wlio  varied  essentially  from  what  he  conceived  to 
])e  the  scriptural  basis  of  this  doctrine  as  alike  the 
enemies  of  Christ  and  of  His  church. 


CHAPTKn  xiir. 


LUTIIEU    AM)    ZWIN<'.L 


Side  by  side  with  the  advance  of  evan.Lnlical 
j)rinciples  in  Germany  was  progressinj^  during 
tliese  years  a  great  reformatory  movement  in 
Switzerland,  under  the  leadership  of  Ulrich 
Zwingli.  The  latter  was  a  man  in  temperament 
and  training  the  very  opposite  of  Luther.  His 
parents  were  in  comfortahle  eironmstances,  and 
lie  enjoyed  the  hcnefits  of  a  thorough  classical 
training  at  Ikisel,  Heme  and  \'ieima.  Having 
<  omplcted  his  theological  course,  he  at  the  age  of 
iwenty-two  became  pastor  at  Glarus,  in  Switzer- 
land, where  he  diligently  prosecuted  his  studies 
in  the  Scriptures.  He  took  an  active  part  in  pub- 
lic alTairs  and  twice  accompanied  the  men  of  his 
village  upon  military  campaigns.  The  experience 
thus  gained  le(l  him  to  protest  with  jKitriotic 
ardor  against  the  mercenary  employment  of  his 
countrymen  in  the  service  of  foreign   princes,  a 

ustom  which,  mainly  through  his  influence,  was 
.il)olished  in  the  canton  of  Zurich.  In  lolfi,  he 
removed  to  Einsiedlein,  a  famous  centre  of  Rom- 
ish ])il;iri manes,  where  he  attracted  much  Jitten- 
tion  by  boMly  assailing  the  superstitious  worship 
"f  the  \'irgin  Mary.      AN'hen,  in  lolS,  the  venders 

f  indulgences  appcaretl  in  Ins  neighborhood,  he 
cxpose<l  their  iniijuitics  with  e<|ual  zeal.  Trans- 
ferred in  loll)  to  Zurich,  he  continued  to  j)reach 
witlj  em-rgy  against  tlje  al)Uses  in  the  Church, 
i'asting,  enforced  celibacy,  and  the  withholding 
•  •f  the  cup  from  the  laitv,  beciunc  in  turn  the  ob- 
(142) 


M  TIIKK    AM>    ZWINca.I.  148 

jfH'ts  of  liis  attack.  His  fRTv  i'1(M|Ui'1kc',  aided  liy 
a  free  distribution  of  Luther's  writings,  carried  ail 
before  it,  and  in  1524  the  canton  of  Zuricli  re- 
nounced its  allejxiance  to  Rome  and  re-orj:anized 
tlie  church  witliin  its  hounds  in  accordance  with 
Zwin^H's  ideas.  Other  cities  followed  suit,  the 
le<ral  civil  authorities  in  each  case  formally  declar- 
ing in  favor  of  the  Kcformation  and  assuming  the 
direction  of  all  religious  alTairs.  Thus  the  move- 
ment in  Switzerland  was  chietly  concerned  in  the 
abolition  of  external  abuses  and  hore  from  the 
^n•:^t  a  njarked  jiolitical  cliaractcr.  It  was  the  aim 
of  Zwingli,  further,  to  reject  everything  not  ex- 
pressly commanded  l)y  the  Word  of  (iod,  and 
thus  i'lcak  away  as  completely  as  possible  from 
the  establislied  religious  customs;  whereas  Luther 
a<lvocated  the  retention  of  whatever  was  harndess, 
and  laid  all  the  stress  of  his  ministry  by  voice  and 
pen  upon  the  underlying  d(K'trines  of  repentance 
and  faith. 

It  was  in  connection  with  the  doctrine  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  that  the  difTerence  between  the 
\\\i)  movements  was  to  tind  its  culmination. 
Luther,  whose  deep  spiritual  nature  lived  and 
njnved  in  the  realm  of  divine  mysteries,  found  no 
dilliculty  in  conceiving  of  the  Ixxlily  presence  of 
the  Lord  with  the  earthly  elements  of  the  commun- 
ion.^ Zwingli's  j)ractical  mind,  on  the  contrary, 
welcomed  the  theory  which  removes  all  mystery 
and  makes  the  sacred  meal  but  a  memorial  celebra- 
tion. The  conception  was  more  congenial,  also,  to 
the  restless  superficial  s|)irit  of  the  martial  cantons 
of  the  Swiss  and  to  the  minds  of  self-complacent 
I  liinianists.  It  found  ready  accei)tance  in  South- 
western Germany  among  the  pupils  of  Eras- 
mus, who  were  then  very  widely  scattered  and 
inthlential.       It  was  oroclaimcd  as  the  na.-t. liable. 


Ill  l.rTIIKH,   Tin:    HKKolJMKU. 

advanced  view,  wluTcns  T.utlur  was  supposed  to 
he  ill  this,  as  in  liis  treatment  of  ntlier  external 
ceremonies,  hut  half-awakened  from  his  j)opish 
dreams. 

The  unseemly  strife  hetween  hnthren  grew 
more  hitter  as  the  years  rolled  on.  The  argu- 
ments of  Zwingli  apj>eared  to  Luther,  hy  pevering 
the  two  natures  of  Christ,  to  roh  I  lis  atoning 
work  of  its  ellieaey  and  thus  destroy  the  very  hasis 
of  the  (;osi)i'l.  His  susjiieions  were  conlirmeil 
when  he  found  Zwingli  wavering  upon  the  doe- 
trine  of  original  sin,  and  so  exalting  the  virtues 
of  the  heathen  as  to  ap])arently  deny  alt«)grther 
the  necessity  of  the  atonement.  lie  failed  to  note 
in  the  writings  of  the  latter  any  evidence  of  that 
deep  sense  of  personal  guilt  which  lay  at  the  very 
foundation  of  his  own  experience  and  which  even 
yi't  at  times  so  entirely  overpowtred  him.  When, 
in  addition,  he  ohserved  Zwingli's  constant  exal- 
tation of  the  P})iritual,  as  entirely  a])art  from  all 
relati(»n  to  outward  ordinances,  and  found  him 
teaching  a  direct  inlluence  (»f  the  Holy  Spirit,  in- 
dependent of  the  divine  Word,  ami  looking  to 
])olitical  schemes  for  the  furtherance  of  thedospel, 
lie  hecame  more  than  ever  convinced  that  the 
spirit  of  the  latter  wjis  identical  with  that  of  the 
Fanatics  and  woidd  eventually  lead  to  the  samt» 
excesses.  He,  therefore,  waged  a  nlentless  and 
undiscriminating  warfare  against  the  "Sacramen- 
tarians,''  who,  up«»n  their  part,  le<l  hy  Zwingli  and 
(ICcolampadius,  nev<r  wearied  of  ridiculing  the 
superstition  nf  the  *'  Hihl<'-tyrants"  at  Wittenherg. 

None  lamented  the  strife  more  sincerely  than 
Luther.  He  declared  that  *'  the  gates  of  lu'll,  the 
entire  papacy,  the  Turks,  the  world,  the  tlesh  and 
all  the  powers  of  evil,  could  imt  hav«'  wrouiiht  such 
injury,"  and  that  he  would  gladly  lay  down  his 


UTIIKK    AND    ZWlNtJLI.  145 

life  many  tiinis  over  to  restore  liarinonv;  ''luit," 
he  added:  "the  Word  is  too  strong;;  it  liolds  me 
captive."  In  March,  \i)2X,  lie  jni)>lishe<l  an  ex- 
liaustive  treatise,  entitled:  "Confession  upon 
the  Lord's  Supper.  M.  Luther."  This  he 
desiLMH'd  to  he  his  tinal  utterance  upon  the  suh- 
ject,  and  in  it  he  warns  all  tlu-  world  to  ahandon 
the  iilea  that  he  can  c\'er  ])e  induced  to  depart 
from  the  positions  here  maintained.  Should  he 
do  so,  he  he^'s  posterity  to  attrihute  the  wavering 
to  hodily  or  mental  infirmity,  and  still  rcL^ird  this 
treatise  as  the  exj)ression  of  his  immovahle  con- 
viction. To  the  further  replies  of  Zwinirli  and 
othei-s,  he  paid  no  attention.  He  had  home  his 
testimony,  and  could  do  no  more. 
10 


ClIAITKrv  XIV, 


TiiK  iu;ave  protest. 


While  tliis  ])l()0(ll('ps  conflict  was  heing  wa^rrd 
between  the  (>j)p()sing  chani])i<>ns  within  the  ranks 
of  those  wlio  had  escaped  frnni  the  dominion  of 
paj)al  errors,  their  common  enemy  was  not  idle, 
liavaria  had  furnishc*!  a  luuulK'rof  martyrs  to  the 
( an<('  of  the  Uelormatiou,  amon.ij  tliem  Leonard 
Kaiser,  a  jn-rsonal  ae(iuaintanee  of  Lutlur's. 
Tlif  latter  pul»hshe<l  a  ;;raphic  account  of  Kaiser's 
arrest  wliile  on  a  visit  to  liis  dying  father  and  of 
his  cruel  death  at  the  stake,  ])raying  that  (lod 
might  enahle  Inm,  when  his  hour  should  come,  to 
meet  death  with  hut  half  the  fortitude  of  his 
heroic  friend.  Tnder  a  new  wave  of  persecuting 
zeal,  a  nund)er  of  evangelical  ])reaehei*s  were 
driven  out  of  Austria.  Paul  Winkler,  a  pastor 
in  llalle,  sumnione(l  to  AsehalT(iil»nru'  to  answer 
for  having  administereil  the  conniumion  in  hoth 
forms,  was  assassinated  upon  the  homeward  jt)ur- 
nev.  His  death  was  extttlled  hy  Luther  as  peeu- 
liarly  glorious,  hiK'ause  eneountered  while  in  ohe- 
dience  to  the  lawful  authority  and  in  defence  of 
the  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supj)er. 

rpon  tln'  other  hand,  the  lU^formation  had 
made  notable  conquests.  Margrave  (leorge,  t»f 
Frankfurt- ^l^Uldenl.uI•L^  in  lo'JT,  re-organized  the 
ehureh  upon  his  t<rritory  under  the  direction  of 
ministers  furnished  hy  Luther,  and  became  a 
zealous  adherent  of  the  cause.  Hrunswiek,  Ham- 
burg, (Joslar,  LubcH'k  and  CJocttiugen  openly 
espoused  the  truth. 

(lie; 


TIIK    P.IJAVK    riJHTR-T.  117 

Hut  the  I'jniMM'or  IkkI  iiuniiwliilc  ncrnin  nsolvc^i] 
upon  a<:ixivssive  nicasun'S.  llavini^'cnpturi'd  Konic 
and  ukkIc  tlu*  I'npt'  a  j)ris()ii('r,  he  IkkI  concliKU'd 
t«'niis  with  tlu'  latter  cniln'acinir  a  plcd^^^e  of  strin- 
•zcnt  n'u'ulations  anainst  tlic  Lutlicran  heresy.  The 
Diet  assenil)liMl  at  Spires  on  February  21st, 
1529,  was  calK'd  upon  to  face  a  stern  imperial 
mandate,  requirinjj:  the  ahro<;ation  of  the  edict  of 
toleration  issued  three  years  before,  and  express- 
in«r  in  no  measured  terms  the  displeasure  of  the 
monareh  at  the  spread  of  the  revolutionary  doc- 
trines. The  Romish  |)arty  at  the  Diet,  eneour- 
atred  l)y  this  assurance  of  the  Emperor's  support, 
and  bein^  in  the  majority,  resolved  that,  in  sec- 
tions in  which  the  Edict  of  Worms  had  hitherto 
i»een  lionored,  its  re«juirements  sh(>uld  still  be 
carried  out,  wliile  in  other  places  no  further  in- 
novations sliould  be  made  until  the  meetini^  of  a 
L-^cneral  council.  Doctrines  and  sects  which  deny 
tile  ])resence  of  the  true  body  and  blood  of  Christ 
in  the  sacrament  were  not  to  !)e  tolerated  in  the 
kinirdoin.  No  ruler  was  to  <^ive  shelt«T  to  reli^dous 
fujritives  from  a  nei.i_dil)orinL;  territory. 

Thus,  wliile  the  Diet  did  not  unilertake  to  re- 
store the  old  order  of  thinj^s  where  already  aban- 
doned, it  pb^d^ed  its  authority  to  ])revent  the 
spread  of  th(»  new  principles,  and  to  perform  ])oliee 
service  for  the  persecuting  princes  in  the  restora- 
tion of  such  ;is  mii^ht  escape  from  their  grasp. 
It  was,  further,  very  broadly  binti'd  that  severer 
measures  would  ere  long  be  adopt<'<l. 

The  evangelical  members  of  the  Diet  could  not 
be  thus  terrified  into  submission.  To  yield  nuw 
w(»uld  l)e  to  surrender  all  that  had  been  won  by 
the  arduous  toil  of  years.  Only  one  (piestion 
divi<le<l  their  counsels  for  a  time.  Should  the 
followers  of  Luther  make  common  cause  with 


148  LUTHEK,  THE    IlEKOHMER. 

the  Zwinglians,  who,  ncconhiifj  to  the  resohition 
aiiiml  sokly  at  them,  were  to  he  driven  from  the 
kingdom?  Tlie  I^imlgrave  Pliihp  pleaded  for 
their  recognition,  while  the  Elector  John  was  in 
douht.  The  (juestion  was  referre<l  to  Melanch- 
thon,  and  npon  his  advice  it  was  decided  to  in- 
clude these  in  any  defensive  measures  which 
niiL'ht  he  adojUed. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  John  nf  Saxnuy,  Thilip 
of  Hesse,  Margrave  Cieorge  of  Hrandenherg,  Duke 
Krnest  of  Liineberg,  Prince  Wolfgang  of  Anhalt. 
and  fourteen  imperial  cities  presented  a  solemn 
protest  against  the  action  of  the  majority.  They 
dt'clan-d  tiiat,  in  matters  which  concern  the  honor 
of  Ciotl  and  the  salvation  of  souls,  they  were  com- 
pelleil  hy  conscience  to  regard  the  will  of  (lod 
above  all  else,  and  hence  couM  not  agree  to  carry 
out  the  resolutions  of  the  Hiet.  They  further 
maintained  that  in  such  matters  every  one  must 
give  account  of  himself  directly  to  CJod,  and  that 
no  one  can  excuse  himself  hy  appealing  to  the 
decisions  of  a  majority.  The  Zwinglians,  they 
contende<l,  should  not  he  condenmcd  without  a 
hearing,  nor  any  such  violent  measures  adoj)te<l 
against  them  until  a  council  shoidd  have  ])ro- 
nounecil  judgment  upon  their  teachings.  The 
signers  of  this  document  were  spoken  of  as  the 
'•  Protestants,"  and  tlieir  hold,  honest  course  has 
1m  tn  innnortalized  in  the  adoption  of  this  term  as 
the  distinctive  designation  of  the  moilern  Christian 
('hurch  of  the  western  world  outside  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  connnunion.  That  which  has  excited 
tlie  admiration  of  jiosterity  is  not  merely  the<(»ur- 
age  with  which  this  little  hand  st«M)d  up  against 
superior  numhers  and  against  the  Kmperor,  now 
lluslu'<l  with  victory,  hut  the  ground  upon  which 
their  action  waa  bahcnl,  /.  <.,  the  clear  enunciation 


TIIK    HKAVK    PIJOTKST.  1  10 

of  \ho  sacred  rights  of  conscience,  as  against 
tlic  (l<tininati<»n  of  majorities  (»r  tlic  inandatt'S  of 
tyranny,  in  tliis  it  l»ut  irave  formal  and  unitccl 
utterance  to  tlie  principles  wiiieh  the  Monk  of 
W'ittonheri,'  had  holdly  proclaimed  eight  years  be- 
f(  )re. 

Three  days  later,  the  Elector  John,  the  Lantl- 
^rave  Philip  and  the  representatives  of  the  cities 
of  Nurember^r,  Ulni  and  8trassbur<;  pledged 
united  resistance  against  any  j^ower  wliieh 
shouM  attack  eitlier  of  the  confederates  ui)on  the 
ground  of  adherence  to  the  (iospel. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  Luther  failed  to 
recognize  either  the  genuine  heroism  or  the  far- 
reacliing  signiiieance  of  the  great  i>rotest.  The 
rejection  of  the  imi)erial  demands  appeared  to  him 
as  merely  the  discharge  of  a  plain,  unavoidal)le 
duty,  and  with  its  performance  he  would  have  had 
the  adherents  of  the  Gospel  rest  content.  The 
subscMpKMit  organization  of  the  princes  and  cities 
for  defence  alarmed  him.  lie  could  not  be  ])cr- 
suadcd  that  the  danger  was  so  imminent  as  to  re- 
(|uire  this,  and  it  appeared  to  him  to  imply  dis- 
trust in  the  divine  power.  Had  not  (iod  wonder- 
fully protected  them  hitherto  without  any  human 
aid?  Were  it  not  far  better  to  conlide  in  Him 
now  than  to  lean  ui)on  an  arm  of  llesh  ?  lie 
greatly  feared,  further,  that  the  cause  of  truth 
would  sutTer  by  alliance  with  the  HefornuTS  whose 
views  wen'  at  such  variance  with  his  own. 
Melanchthon,  too,  became  very  uneasy,  and  re- 
gretted the  ])art  which  he  had  taken  in  encourag- 
ing the  "terrible  protest."  Thus  Luther's  cour- 
age and  the  natural  timidity  (»f  Melaiulitli<.n 
(ombiiu'd,  in  this  as  in  later  ])erio(ls.  to  discoun- 
tenance political  combinations  which  might 
transfer  the  conlliet  fmm  the  tribunal  of  free  dis- 
cussion to  the  arbitrament  of  arms. 


150  M'TIIKU,   TlIK    HKFOHMFR. 

But  tho  lionzon  wasalnady  dark  with  throaton- 
\u\l  clouds.  The  Kmpcror  and  the  I'ope  liad  no 
i?cruj)les  to  restrain  lluni  from  rt'li«;i()us  warfare, 
anil  tlie  Proti^stant^s  miglit  at  any  moment  l»e 
called  upon  to  draw  arms  in  self-defence.  How 
important  then  that  they  he  unite<l  and  j)rcpared 
to  act  in  concert  aiiainst  their  common  enemy! 
Resistance  of  sucli  «lriiiands  as  tliose  now  made, 
Would  not,  it  was  claimed,  l>e  insurrection.  Hut 
Luther  was  immovalde.  lit;  maintained  that  it 
is  the  duty  of  su))jects  to  endure  wroni^  when  per- 
petrated by  those  in  lawful  authority,  and  to  look 
ft)r  delivemnce  to  llim  who  can  control  the  hearts 
of  princes  and  overrule  the  trials  of  His  j^eople  to 
their  own  linal  advantage.  But  the  incrcasin*]j 
jcravity  of  the  situation  led  to  a  careful  scrutiny  of 
this  sweeping  doctrine  of  submission,  as  applied  to 
political  alTairs,  and  no  one  could  lonirer  douht 
that,  if  driven  to  <les|)eration,  the  majority  of  the 
princes  W(»uld  l»e  ready  to  lift  the  sw(»rd  in  self- 
defence. 

The  most  serious  difliculty  in  the  way  of  a 
cordial  confederation  of  all  the  evangelical  forces 
now  lay  in  the  doctrinal  dilTerences  which  yet 
divide<i  the  j^reat  emancipated  host.  How  these 
could  1m'  reconciled  became  the  jjressing  tiuc>ti»>n 
of  the  hour. 


CIIAPTFR  XV. 

THK    MAHHl'liG    COLLOQl'Y. 

In  all  the  ])(>liti;al  j)lans  of  tlir  Prot<'stiints, 
Philip  of  Hesse  now  Ir-IiI  the  ]>lacc  of  undis- 
j.utcd  Ira.lcrsliip.  His  youthful  t'nerjzy,  his  uu- 
llinching  courage  and  his  sagacity  well  fitted  him 
for  the  ]uTilous  |»re-eininence.  He  had  honestly 
enihraced  the  fundamental  teachings  of  Luther, 
i)Ut  rather  from  intellectual  conviction  than  from 
<lee])  religious  motives;  yet  he  was  willing  to  main- 
tain his  convictions  at  all  hazards.  None  realized 
more  clearly  than  he  the  serious  dangers  now 
threatening,  and  he  was  untiring  in  his  efforts  to 
unite  all  the  anti-})a|)al  elements.  It  seemed  to 
him  an  incredible  infatuation  that  such  a  union 
should  he  prevented  l)v  a  mere  doctrinal  dispute 
among  the  theologians,  and  he  cast  about  for 
means  of  overcoming  this  needless  obstacle. 
Already  Ix-fore  tlie  Diet  of  Spires  he  had  declared 
that  there  must  be  a  conference  between  Luther 
and  (Ecolampadius,  if  it  cost  him  ()(K)  guldens  to 
<  fleet  it.  After  the  lines  had  there  been  so  deeply 
drawn  i)etween  the  two  great  parties,  the  necessity 
of  harmony  among  the  friends  of  the  Reformation 
became  still  more  evi<lent,  and  Philip  at  once 
cautiously  a«ldressed  himself  to  the  Uisk  of  bring- 
ing the  warrini:  theologians  face  to  face. 

Tiie  Wittenberg  men  had  no  sympathy  what- 
ever witii  tilt;  movement,  and  sougiit  in  ev<ry  imn- 
onible  way  to  avoid  a  meeting  which  they  felt 
<ould  ;iccom])lish  nothing  more  than  further  alieii- 
..li'.n.  l>ut  they  could  not  resist  the  urgency  of 
(151) 


152  Ll'THEU,  THE    HEFOUMER. 

the  I^n<l^ra\'e  an<l  tlic  wishes  of  their  own 
prince,  who  felt  tliat  the  refusal  of  a  rcMjuest  so 
seeiniii^ly  reasonahle  would  certainly  be  misin- 
trri-n  t.-.f. 

Zwingli,  on  the  contrary,  was  filled  with  de- 
light ujHin  re<"eivin«:  the  invitati<»n.  Having  suc- 
r»«dr<l  in  extending;  his  inlhu-nc  r  in  Switziiland, 
he  had  conceived  the  idea  of  fnnninir  a  ^reat  in- 
ternational confederacy  to  resist  the  Kn»j>eror's 
encroachments.  He  had  even  made  propositions 
of  alliance  with  the  King  of  France  on  the  east 
and  Vienna  on  the  west,  ignoring  thus  the  most 
extreme  religious  difTerences  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  his  ])<>litical  dream.  If  the  pr<»pose<l  con- 
ference should  achieve  no  more,  it  would  at  least 
enahle  him  to  piin  the  sym})athy  of  Philip,  and 
with  it  the  support  of  all  Southern  and  Western 
(lermany.  History  accords  to  Zwingli  a  jrenuine 
religious  zeal,  hut  for  him  religion  and  politics 
were  one,  and  his  patriotism  and  piety  were  now 
alike  aflame  with  the  idea  of  grasping  the  golden 
opportunity  to  throw  oiT  the  yoke  of  media*val 
hondaire. 

Fearing  opjiosititni  to  the  project  upon  the  j»art 
of  his  friends,  the  Swiss  reformer  slipped  away 
from  Zurich  secretly  on  Se|»tend)er  1st.  He  sjMut 
twelve  days  at  Strasshurg  seeking  to  advance  his 
cause,  and,  arriving  early  at  Marhurg,  the  j>lace  of 
meeting,  swured  an  audience  with  the  I.an<lgmve 
before  the  arrival  of  Luther  with  his  j)arty.  On 
Friday,  October  1st,  by  a  ]>rudent  arrangement  of 
IMiilip,  Luther  was  closeted  for  three  hours  with 
(F/dlampadius,  while  in  an<»ther  ro«»m  Zwingli 
and  Melanchthon  compared  views. 

On  the  following  day,  the  formal  discussion 
l»cgan.  It  was,  according  to  the  olVu  iai  instruc- 
tions, to  be  an  *'out*<iK)ken,  friendly  and  undis- 


TiiK  MAunnn:  coLUKiiY.  153 

putatioiis conversation."  A  nuinlxTof  tliroloiiians 
and  scholars  were  present,  and  the  Landgrave 
himself  followed  the  discussion  with  unflagging 
interest.  Directly  l»efore  the  latter,  at  a  se]mratc 
tahle,  were  seated  Luther,  Zwingli,  Mclanchthon 
and  Ov'olanipadius.  Luther,  who  had  written 
with  clialk  u])(»n  the  tal)le-cover:  "  Hoc  est  cor- 
pus meum  "  (This  is  my  body),  o])en«(l  the  col- 
loquy l»y  announcing  that  he  ])ro])()sed  merely  to 
maintain  the  positions  which  he  had  assumed  in 
his  writings,  and  that,  if  the  opposite  ])arty  had 
anytliing  to  advance  against  the  truth,  he  was 
ready  to  hear  and  refute  them.  He  proposed  that 
a  wide  range  ]>e  given  to  the  discussion,  as  he 
understood  that  the  Swiss  entertained  erroneous 
views  upon  a  number  of  the  most  vital  su])jects, 
such  as  original  sin,  the  nature  of  Christ,  bajttism, 
etc.  The  latter  expressed  themselves  as  willing 
to  testify  their  helit^f  upon  these  subjects,  but 
desired  to  begin  the  discussion  with  the  doctrine 
of  the  Lord's  Sup])er,  to  which  Luther  agreed. 

For  two  days  the  debate  continued,  without 
developing  any  arguments  not  ])reviously  ad- 
vanced. Again  and  again,  Luther  ])ointe<l  to  the 
words  upon  the  table,  and  at  length  tore  ofT  the 
cover  and  dramatically  held  it  up  as  the  final 
answer  to  all  the  objections  of  his  opponents.  A 
private  meeting  of  the  theologians  on  the  f«»l- 
lowing  nmrning  |)roved  e(|ually  fruitless. 

Zwingli  and  his  party  then  desired  that  they  be 
heard  in  regard  to  the  other  articles  of  faith  to 
which  reference  had  been  made,  and  Luther,  upon 
re(juest,  at  once  ])repared  a  statenunt  in  fifteen 
brief  articles  for  mutual  consi«leration.  They 
covered  the  leading  topics  of  his  own  teaching, 
and,  Ui  his  amazement,  wen»  acc<'pted  on  the  sam(^ 
day,  with  a  few  slight  verbal  changes,  by  all  the 
theologians  present. 


154  LUTIIKH.   TIIK    ItEFOKMER. 

Thus  tho  (lifTrronces  had  been  narrowcil  i\n\\n 
to  tlie  one  point,  /.  e.,  Xhv  IxKlily  ])rrs('nce  of 
Christ  in  xlw  Lord's  Sn]»])('r.  The  Lan<lL:nive  was 
(ltli«:htc(l,  and  exhorted  l>oth  ])arti(s  to  t»>h'ration 
an<l  llie  exercise  of  hrotlierly  love.  Zwin«;H  and 
liis  friends  readily  ajxreed  to  so  conduct  themselves, 
and  proposed  that  all  should  consent  to  acknowl- 
eil<re  one  another  as  hrethren,  and  that  each  ]K\rty 
sln»uld  welcome  the  other  at  the  Tahle  of  the 
Lord.  With  this  proposition,  Zwin«;li  extended 
his  hand  to  Luther,  hut  the  latter  refused  to  make 
such  acknowled^Miient  of  fraternity,  declarinji,  as 
he  had  frtHpuntly  done  during'  the  colliMjUy, 
"You  liave  a  different  spirit  from  ours." 
Zwingli  ])leaded,  even  with  tears,  and,  turning  to 
the  Landjxrave,  declared:  ''There  are  no  men  in 
the  world  with  whom  I  would  rather  he  in  har- 
mony than  with  the  ^^'ittenherJ:ers. "  Hut  in 
vain.  Luther  was  ready  to  jrrant  to  the  o])posite 
]»arty  oidy  such  exhihitions  of  Christian  love  as 
are  due  to  one's  enemies.  To  the  declaration  of 
the  fifteenth  of  the  adopted  articles,  acknowledg- 
ing the  spiritual  presence  of  the  Lord  in  the  Holy 
Supper,  was  ad<led  the  statement:  "  lUit,  although 
we  have  not  agreed  at  this  time  whether  the  true 
body  and  hlood  of  Christ  are  hodily  in  the  hrcatl 
an<l  wine,  yet  each  ])Mrty  promises  to  exercise  to- 
wanl  the  other  Christian  love,  in  so  far  as  th(» 
con.'icicnce  of  each  will  at  all  allow,  and  h«»th 
parties  earnestly  implore  (Io(l,  the  Almighty,  that 
lie  may  through  His  Spirit  grant  us  the  right 
understlinding."  The  articles  were  then 
signed  hy  Luther.  Melan<hthon,  Jonas,  Osiander, 
Hrenz,  Agricola,  (iMolamjuidius,  Zwingli,  Huccr 
and  IL'dio,  and  at  once  given  to  the  press. 

No  act  (»f  Lutlier's  life  has  been  subje<te(l  to 
more  divei-su  comment  than  his  refusal  to  take 


TlIK    MAKIUIU;    ("oM.fK^rV.  1 ') .') 

tlic  profTorod  hand  of  Zwiiiirli  at  Marl)ur^'.  In  tin* 
light  of  our  modern  ideas  of  mutual  toleration,  it 
has  the  a]>i><'aran(e  of  insutTerahle  ))i,i:otrv;  hut  a 
eandid  consideration  of  the  eireumstanees  nuist 
j^reatly  modify,  if  it  do  not  entirely  reverse,  such 
harsh  judirnient.  Let  it  he  rememhered  that  the 
colloquy  was  not  an  unbiased  gathering  of 
theolojrians  to  discuss  nliLMnus  suhjccts  for  their 
own  sake.  It  was  ]»lann<'d  in  furtherance  of  a 
j)olitical  scheme  which  Luther  did  not  approve, 
i)Ut  which  his  opponents  considered  vital.  The 
desire  upon  their  ])art  for  Luther's  endorsement 
did  not  therefore  s])rin^  from  pure  Christian  love. 
Ajrain,  the  point  at  issue  was  not  a  vital  one  in 
the  juilgment  of  tlie  Swiss,  while  to  Luther  it  ap- 
peared to  involve  the  very  foundations  of  the 
Christian  faith.  The  denial  of  it  seemed  to  him 
to  indicate  contem]»t  for  the  j)lain  language  of  the 
Scriptures,  the  rejection  of  the  divinity  of  Christ 
and  a  proifanation  of  His  most  sacred  ordinance, 
as  well  as  to  open  the  door  for  all  manner  of  god- 
less fanaticism.  Nor  did  the  assent  of  these  men 
to  the  other  articles  satisfy  him.  Tlis  astonish- 
ment was  mingled  with  deep  suspicions,  ;is  he 
knew  how  strongly  p(>litical  considi-rations 
prompted  them  to  seek  at  Icjust  ajtpan-nt  harmony, 
rpon  the  one  j)oint  which  had  for  years  heen 
made  the  test-(piestion  hetween  the  diverse  ten- 
dencies, and  in  view  of  which  alone  the  conference 
had  been  called,  not  the  slightest  ap])roximation 
to  harmony  had  been  made. 

Should  Luther  now  allow  the  rejiort  to  go 
abroad,  that  he  had  at  the  critical  moment  com- 
promised with  the  enemy  ?  Should  he  thus  cast 
the  weight  of  his  influence  in  favor  of  what  he 
believed  to  be  an  uidioly  alhance  which  woidd 
deluge  the  land   in  bldtMJ   :iiid   incur  the  \\r;itli  of 


156  LUTIIEH,  THE    REFORMER. 

the  Aliniuhty  ?  No!  he  would  not  allow  his  name 
t«>  l)t'  tlms  misused.  \lv  would  niakt*  no  com- 
promise with  error,  even  under  the  ;ruise  (»f 
charity.  He  whom  tlie  tlireats  of  an  Emperor 
could  not  terrify  was  not  to  Ik-  suhdued  hy  the 
tears  of  a  di.sai)j)ointed  politician.  He  was  im- 
movahle — as  ever,  true  to  his  convictions. 

That  those  who  hear  the  name  of  Lutlier  to-(lay 
should  he  le<l  l>y  liis  example  upon  this  critieal 
(K-easion  to  permanently  refuse  fellowship  at 
the  Lord's  Tahle  with  all  win*  do  not  accept  in 
full  the  strictest  Lutheran  view  of  the  sacred  ordi- 
nance, can  he  consistently  maintained  only  upon 
the  supposition  that  the  j)ersons  thus  excluded 
really  occuj)y  the  position  attrihuted  to  Zwinjxli 
and  his  followers,  i.  e.,  that  they  are  insincere  in 
their  j)rofessions  of  piety,  despisers  of  (lod's 
Word,  inspired  hy  Satan  in  their  stuhhorn  oppo- 
sition to  the  truth.  Luther's  denial  of  altar  fellow- 
ship was  no  mere  ]»nttest  a^^unst  the  error  of  an 
aeknowled«r(.(l  Cliristian  l)r«)ther:  it  was  an  indiji- 
nant  rejection  of  all  fellowship  with  those  whom 
he  conceived  to  he  the  inost  danj^erous  enemies 
of  Christ.  He  is  a  hold  partisan  who  would  to- 
day ascrihe  such  a  character  to  all  professing 
Christians  without  the  hounds  of  our  own  Luth- 
eran church. 


C'lIAlTKrv  XVT. 

PHErAKINC.    TO    MKKT    TIIF.    KMrKKOH. 

The  colloquy  at  Marl)ur<r  rcMKk'rcd  a  licrmancnt 
service  in  leadiiif?  to  the  j)reparation  of  a  concise 
statement  of  the  chief  points  of  evangelical  doc- 
trine. Prepared  in  haste,  within  at  most  a  few 
hours,  hy  the  master  hand  of  Lutlicr,  this  lirief 
formula  j)roved  the  living  germ  t'lciii  which  \v;is 
develo])ed  the  remarkalilc  confessional  literature 
of  the  sixteenth  century,  which  has  moulded  the 
entire  suhse<iuent  history  of  the  Protestant  church. 

Before  leaving:  Marhur.L',  Luther  and  his  associ- 
ates received  instructions  from  the  Elector  to  ]>re- 
pare  a  statement  of  the  articles  of  faith  which 
niifrht  serve  as  a  hond  of  union  for  the  Protestant 
Leajzue,  a  meetinfr  of  which  was  to  l)e  held  at 
Schwahach  on  Octoher  Kith.  To  meet  this  r<'- 
quirement,  Luther  simjtly  recast  the  Marhur;^ 
Articles.  The  latter  had  Ix'cn  ]>rejiared  with  a 
view  of  securin.L'  as  far  as  ]»ossihle  th(»  assent  of 
the  Swiss  theolo<:ians.  No  lon^^'cr  restrained  hy 
such  considerations,  Luther  now  expressed  more 
positively  his  own  convictions,  especially  upon 
the  suhject  of  the  Lord's  Supper.  He  inserted 
also  an  article  setting  forth  the  Church  as  the 
general  fellowship  of  helievers,  in  contradistinction 
from  the  hirrarchical  view  of  the  Romanists — a 
doctrinal  |»osition  which  has  maintain<Ml  its  place 
suhstantially  in  all  the  preat  Protestant  confes- 
sions. Theseventeen  articles  tlm-  oriL'inatecl,  after- 
wards known  as  the  '•  Schwabach  Articles," 
were  acceptahle  to  tlie  Saxon  court,  but,  on  ac- 
(lo7) 


158  Ll'TIIKU,  TIIK    KKFonMKK. 

count  of  tlu'ir  ptricttr  tone,  ])rovcil  unsntisfnctory 
to  the  8out)j  (icnnan  (U-legatcs  at  the  convention, 
and  action  upon  them  was  po8t]>one<l.  They 
failed  of  aeceptiinee  also,  for  the  same  reason,  at 
a  larjrer  convention  luM  at  Smaleald,  on  Novem- 
h(T  L'^Uh;  hut,  while  rejected  hy  those  who  in- 
eliiu'd  to  Zwin;ilian  views,  tliey  were  inlluential 
in  str<'n«:th(  nin<r  the  convictions  of  those  who 
still  followed  the  leadership  of  Saxony. 

As  Luther  returned  t(^  Wittenberp,  all  eyes 
were  turned  in  a  new  direction.  The  Sultan 
Soliman  was  storming  Vicima.  The  imaginary 
war  with  the  Turks,  for  which  the  roi)e  had  so 
often  collected  large  sums  in  (iermany,  had  he- 
come  a  reality,  and  the  land  was  lilltMl  with  terror. 
Luther,  who  had  in  his  earlier  writings  ridiculed 
the  insincere  (»uteries  of  the  ]mpal  emissaries,  and 
who  might  have  foreseen  advantage  for  his  own 
cause  in  this  new  cmharrassment  of  the  Emj)eror, 
now  i)roved  his  patriotism  hy  ]ni!>lishing  a 
'*  Martial  Sermon  against  the  Turks,"  sum- 
moning his  countrymen  as  (iermans,  regardless  of 
their  religious  dilTerences,  to  respond  to  the  call  of 
the  l''m|iiror  and  defend  their  tin-sides  from  the 
harharous  fo<'.  The  Landgrave  IMiilip  ])roposed 
that  no  aid  he  given  to  the  Km]>eror  against  the 
Turks  uidess  he  should  lii*st  guarantee  religious 
peace  to  his  suhjects  in  (Jcnnany;  hut  Luther 
was  unwilling  to  enter  into  any  negotiations  of 
this  character,  maintaining  that  the  support  of 
the  lawful  authority  of  the  land  is  a  simple  duty 
which  must  he  discharged  at  all  hazards.  He 
sought  to  overcome  any  scru]»les  which  might  he 
<*ntertained  against  warfare  un<ler  such  circum- 
staiHi's,  although  it  might  he  just  as  clearly  a 
duty  to  dis(»hey  the  Kmperor  shouM  he  summon 
Itis  suhjects  to  war  against  the  (iospel.     Soliman 


IMJKl'AKI.NC    TO    MKKT    TIIK    KM  I'KKt  )K.  l.")!l 

was  ilcft'iitcd,  and  tlic  tlii\ati'iiiii^^  peril  for  tlic 
tiino  ln'in^  avt-rtod. 

On  Frhruarv  24tli,  the  Kniixror  was  crowned 
by  the  Pope  at  liolo<ina,  and  at  onei'  announeid 
his  purpose  of  visiting  (iennanv  in  jterson.  A 
Diet  was  summoned  to  meet  at  Augsburg  on  the 
8tli  of  April,  professedly  to  "  heal  tin*  (hvisions  in 
tlu'  C'hureh,  committinj^  the  errors  of  the  past  to 
the  jud«rnient  of  the  Lord,  and,  after  ])atiently 
hearing  the  opinions  of  all  parties  in  the  spirit  of 
love  anil  forl>earanee,  to  arrive  at  harmonious 
views  of  Christian  truth."  The  Elector  John, 
uiK)n  receiving  the  imj)erial  notice  on  March  11th, 
inuncdiately  instructed  Luther,  Jonas,  lUigen- 
fiagen  and  Melanchthon  to  prepare  a  statement 
of  the  ])oints  in  controversy  for  the  use  of  himself 
and  his  friends  at  the  Diet.  The  result  of  their 
lahors  in  response  to  this  call,  handed  to  the 
P^lector  ten  days  latiM',  is  known  to  history  as  the 
*'  Torgau  Articles." 

'i'ii»-  l^lictor  and  his  counselors,  realizing  what 
a  wide  field  of  discussion  would  he  oi)ened  up  if 
the  terms  of  the  oflicial  summons  were  ohserved 
at  Augshurg,  and  resolving  to  he  prepared  for 
every  possible  emergency,  gathered  in  advance 
all  hnoks  and  papers  within  tlieir  reach  thr(>wing 
light  upon  the  religious  c]Uestions  at  issue  or  upon 
the  mutual  relations  of  the  I'jnjxTor  and  the  es- 
tates of  the  realm.  Three  chests  were  refpiired  to 
carry  these  valual)le  documents. 

In  April,  Luther,  Melanchthon  and  Jonas 
j«»urneyed  with  the  electoral  retinue  as  far  as 
Coburg,  near  the  border  of  Saxony,  where  the 
KeftMiMt  r  was  to  find  a  secure  refuge  in  the  castle. 
It  was  hi.s  desire,  and  that  of  his  j)rince  as  well, 
that  he  should  accompany  the  party  to  the  Diet, 
hut,  as  he  was  still  under  the  ban  of  the  empire, 


160  UJTIIKK,   THK    KKKnKMKlJ. 

it  wa«  not  thoiiplit  best  to  so  openly  <lefy  the  aii- 
tliority  of  the  nionareh.  Luther  niiively  expri'ssetl 
ti)  a  friend  his  suspieion  that  he  was  left  hehind 
heeaiise  he  was  known  to  have  a  truuhUsouie 
tongue. 


CHAPTER  XVTT. 

A  9f:coxd  imprisonment. 

Another  ri<l<'  in  the  iiijzlit,  wliidi  must  Ikivo 
vividly  rcrallrd  the  evriits  of  niiR'  years  hcfore, 
and  Lullicr  found  liinist'lf  a_l,^'lin  in  a  "r('i:i(»n  of 
birds."  The  tine  old  castle  on  the  l)ank  of  the 
Itz  met  every  re«|uirement  of  quiet  comfort. 
His  frien«l,  Veit  Dietrich,  and  a  nephew,  C'uriaeus, 
Were  connnissioned  to  keep  him  company,  while 
the  thirty  servants  stood  ready  to  do  his  hiildin«^. 
After  surveying  the  grounds,  the  ]»ris()ner-guest 
-pent  the  atternoon  in  writing  clieerful  letters  to 
his  friends  and  ma])ping  out  a  scluMue  of  work  fnr 
the  idle  hoin-s  hefore  him.  To  Melanditlion  he 
wr<»te  :  "We  have  arrived  at  our  Sinai,  hut  we 
will  make  a  Zion  out  of  it." 

I  li<  first  eoncern  was  for  liis  unfmislied  lahors 
ill  the  translation  and  expounding  of  the 
Scriptures.  During  the  tive  months  of  his  iso- 
lation here  he  accomplished  no  little  in  this  direc- 
lioii.  When  liis  j>hysical  ailments  incapacitated 
liini  fnr  severe  mental  lah<>r,  he  turned  fn»m  the 
interpretation  of  the  intricate  j»rophecies  of  K/a- 
kiel  and  rested  himself  hy  further  elucidation  nf 
the  I'salms.  He  wrote  in  Latin  upon  the  walls  of 
his  study  the  «juotations  fnun  his  heloved  I'salter: 
*  I  shall  not  die,  hut  live,  and  declare  the  works 
of  the  Lord."  "  The  way  of  the  ungodly  .--hall 
perish." 

He  had  l(»ng  cherished  the  idea  of  translating 
the  fables  of  iEsop  and  puhlishing  them  witji 
appropriate  comimnts,  in  order  that  the  chiMren 
11  CKil; 


1(12  LrTHEU,   TlIK    UEFOHMEU. 

miplit  in  this  attractive  fomi  be  taught  the  duty 
nf  livin;r  *' wisely  and  ]ieaceal>ly  anion;:  the  wicked 
niultitudi'  in  this  false  and  evil  world/ '  He  found 
time,  h(»wever,  to  tlius  treat  hut  tliirtccn  <>f  the 
aiuient  colleetion. 

For  exercise,  he  amused  himself  hy  ])raeti<ing 
with  the  cross-bow,  and  his  attendant  triumph- 
antly recorded  a  masterly  shot  which  pierced  a 
hat  directly  throu^di  the  heart.  It  was  here,  lus 
always  in  his  warfare,  a  creature  of  darkness  that 
suffered  at  his  hand. 

He  found  unfailing  deli^dit  in  listening  to  the 
twitleriiiL' of  the  hinls.  He  di'scrihes  in  detail  a 
••Diet  of  Rooks,"  assembled  in  a  cluster  of 
hushes  beneath  his  window,  screaminir  day  antl 
night  witliout  ceasing,  as  though  they  were  all 
roaring  drunk.  (Jreat  and  mighty  lords  they 
seemed  to  him,  although  he  was  unable  to  discern 
the  emperor  among  them.  It  afforded  him  great 
amusement  to  observe  with  what  lordly  dignity 
they  swung  their  tails  and  wiped  their  bills  as 
they  broke  down  the  hedges  and  ])repared  to  gain 
a  glorious  victory  over  the  grain  fields.  "  Success 
to  tlieir  |iilfering."  he  cries,  ''and  may  they  all 
together  be  impaled  upon  a  hedge-pole  !  " 

Pieking  up  a  stray  leaflet  with  a  snatch  of  an 
old  song  upon  it,  set  to  music  of  three  parts,  he 
recast  the  music,  added  notes  for  the  fourth  voice, 
appended  a  few  dogi;erel  lines  to  suit  the  measure, 
and  sent  it  to  Augshurg,  gravely  rci'ommentling  to 
his  friends  its  jmblication  there  as  a  welcoming 
ode  to  the  Knijierorand  F»rdinand. 

His  letters  to  the  family  circle  at  Wittenberg 
are  full  of  tJM'  .piaintest  liunior  and  unfailing 
go(xi  cheer.  His  j»ower  of  entering  into  sympathy 
with  the  feelings  of  innocj'nt  chihlhooti  is  strik- 
ingly sliown  in  a  letter  to  Ids  son,  Hans,  dcscrib- 


A   SECOND    IMPRISONMENT.  163 

in;:  a  hraiitiful  jjanb'n,  with  all  manner  of  fruits 
and  tlowers,  in  wliich  were  at  j»lay  liappy  little 
chiklren  having  liorses  witli  golden  hridles  and 
silver  saddles.  But,  of  course,  tlure  nuist  be  a 
moral  even  to  this  fairy  tale,  and  little  Hans  is 
j)lainly  warned  that  the  charniing  place  is  open 
only  to  chiMren  who  are  good  and  who  ])ray  and 
study  well.  A  j)icture  of  his  infant  daughter, 
Magdelena,  hung  above  his  table  in  the  dining- 
room. 

On  January  oth,  word  was  brought  of  the 
death  of  his  aged  father.  Deeply  moved,  he 
grasj)ed  his  Psalter  and  hastened  to  his  room  to 
weep.  He  bewailed  the  death  of  such  a  father, 
through  whom  God  had  bestowed  U])on  him  life 
and  all  his  faculties,  and  who  by  hard  toil  had 
nourished  his  tender  years  and  supported  him  at 
the  I'niversity.  He  recalled  the  hours  of  sweet 
fellowship  enjoyed  with  him  in  later  years,  and 
rejoiced  that  his  father  had  lived  to  see  the  light 
of  truth,  and  had  died  ])eacefully  in  the  faith  of 
Chri.st.  While  thus  finding  comfort,  he  realized 
more  keenly  than  ever  the  awful  j)ower  of  death, 
and  praised  (iod  for  the  grace  which  enables  i>oor, 
weak  men  thus  to  triumj)h  over  it. 

But  the  walls  of  the  Coburg  could  not  confine 
tlie  Reformer's  thoughts  to  his  personal  relati<»ns. 
He  could  not  forget  the  great  conflict  without. 
Never  was  he  more  confident,  more  intrepid,  more 
conscious  of  Ins  special  calling.  Within  three 
weeks  he  had  prepared  an  Address  to  the  Clergy 
at  Augsburg,  by  which  he  proposed  to  make 
amends  for  his  bodily  absence.  He  trenchantly 
reviews  the  events  of  the  past  years;  reminds  the 
bishops  of  the  service  which  lie  has  ren<lered  them 
in  freeing  them  from  the  swarms  of  monks  that 
had,  like  llcas,  infisted  Cliribtendum;  recalks  the 


164  LUTHEK,  THE  REFORMER. 

loii;;  list  (»f  uhominations  agiiinst  which  lie  had 
protested,  many  of  whieh  they  wen*  in  their  folly 
still  seekinj,'  to  holster  U]);  and  warns  them  of  the 
(lisonlers  which  must  result  if  they  continue  to 
disjiute  the  riizhteous  claims  of  the  (Jospel  and  its 
adherents.  "  Vou  know  as  well  as  we  that  you 
are  living  without  the  Word  of  (Jod,  whereas  we 
liave  it.  It  is,  therefore,  our  earnest  desire  and 
most  liumhle  prayer  that  you  may  give  (iod  the 
glory,  consider,  repent  and  reform.  If  not,  then 
you  will  have  to  deal  with  me.  Livin«r,  I  will  he 
your  jtestilence,  and  dying,  I  will  he  your  death. 
You  will  have  no  rest  from  my  name  until  you 
eitlur  reform  your  ways  or  j^erish  miscrahly.'' 

Such  was  Luther's  lirst  contrihution  to  the  pro- 
posed reconcilation  of  Christ  and  lielial  at  the 
Diet.  We  shall  have  occasion  to  ohserve  how 
potent  was  his  inlluence  in  all  its  deliherations. 
lie  had,  indeed,  little  hope  that  the  Diet  would 
accomplish  any  real  good.  He  still  spoke  of  the 
ICmperor  as  "the  good  and  pious  Charles,"  hut 
h<  lieved  him  hel}>less  as  a  lamh  surrounded  hy 
ravening  wolves.  His  only  concern  was  that  the 
representatives  of  the  trutli  might  make  a  bold 
and  fearless  profession  of  their  faith.  When 
rejM<rl.s  of  wavering  ami  compromise  reached  him, 
he  hecame  impatient,  and  sent  message  after 
message  to  stimulate  tlie  courage  of  his  friends. 
To  Melanchthon  he  wrote  :  "  1  hate  your  fears. 
It  is  not  the  greatne.'^s  of  the  cause  which  awakens 
them,  Imt  the  greatness  of  our  uidulief.  If  our 
cause  is  wrong,  let  us  recant  ;  if  it  is  ri^zht,  why 
do  we  make(l<»d  a  liar  hy  douhting  His  promises? 
Was  it  to  the  wind,  or  to  dumh  l)easts,  that  Ho 
gave  the  command,  'Cast  your  care  upon  the 
Lord?'  I  a<ljure  you,  wlio  are  in  all  else  so 
valiant,  fight  against  ycturself,  your  own  worst 
enemy." 


A    SKCOM)    IMPinsONMKNT.  lOo 

T<>  Chancelor  Kriick,  the  most  liopcful  in  spirit 
among  the  little  ((unpany,  ho  wrote:  "1  have 
lately  seen  two  wonderful  things.  First,  as  I 
was  looking  out  of  my  window,  1  saw  the  stiirs  in 
the  sky  and  the  whole  heautiful  firmament  of 
Ciod  ;  and  yet  I  saw  nowhere  any  ])illar  set  up  hy 
the  Master  to  suj)i)ort  this  lirmament.  Still,  the 
sky  did  not  fall,  and  the  lirmament  is  yet  stand- 
ing securely.  Now,  there  are  some  who  look  for 
such  pillars,  and  would  like  to  la}'  hold  of  them 
and  feel  them,  and  hecause  they  cannot  do  this, 
they  tremhle  and  go  into  convulsions,  as  though 
the  sky  would  now  certainly  fall,  for  no  other 
reason  than  hecause  they  cannot  lay  hold  u]>on  or 
see  the  i)illars.  *  *  *  The  other  wonder  which  I 
saw  was  this  :  Great,  thick  clouds  were  floating 
over  us,  so  heavy  that  they  might  he  com})ared  to 
a  great  ocean,  and  yet  I  saw  no  foundation  upon 
which  they  rested  or  stood,  nor  any  tuhs  in  which 
they  were  held.  Nevertheless,  they  did  not  fall 
upon  us,  hut  greeted  us  with  a  threatening  coun- 
tenance and  tied  away.  When  they  were  j)ast, 
there  shone  out  that  which  held  them  up,  as  hoth 
their  su])port  and  our  roof,  the  rainhow.  *  =i^  * 
Yet  there  are  some  who,  in  their  fear,  look  ujxin 
and  regard  the  thick  and  heavy  weight  of  waters 
and  cloutls  more  than  this  thin,  narrow  and  light 
shadow.  They  would  like  to  feel  the  strength  of 
this  shadow,  and  hecause  they  cannot  do  this, 
they  are  afraid  that  the  clouds  will  produce  an 
everlasting  del uge. ' ' 

Hut  this  holdncss  of  Luther  was  niaintain(Ml 
only  hy  earnest  prayer.  His  a.ssoeiate,  I)ietri<h, 
has  recorde(i  that  thre(M)f  the  hours  most  valuahle 
for  study  were  daily  spent  in  this  exercise.  Once, 
by  acci<lent,  he  caught  the  very  language  of  the 
earnest,  hold  petitions:     "I  know  tliat  Thou  art 


KJn  LITIIEU,   THE    HEFORMER. 

onrCiojl  and  Fatlicr.  I  :un  ((Ttain,  tliorcforo,  tliat 
Tliou  wilt  l>rin';  to  sliaino  tlie  piTsccutors  of  Thy 
cliildrrii.  If  Thou  dost  not,  the  peril  is  Ixith 
Thine  and  ours.     The  whole  alTair  is  Thine." 

Several  vij^orous  controversial  tracts  issued 
from  the  Col)urir.  In  one  of  these  the  subject  of 
purgatory  is  thoroughly  treated.  Luther,  held 
by  his  traditional  einu'eptions,  had  long  been 
willing  to  grant  the  existence  of  sueh  a  plaee  of 
torture,  but  he  now  repudiated  the  i<lea  entirely, 
and  with  unllinehing  severity  uncovered  the 
"shameful  lies  and  abominations"  that  were 
based  upon  the  doctrine.  He  elucidated  also 
more  fully  than  heretofore,  in  special  publica- 
tions, th(»  sphere  of  the  Church's  power  and 
its  limitations,  with  sjtccial  reference  to  the  exist- 
ing state  of  things.  The  tone  ami  contents  of 
these  clocuments  must  have  efTectually  allayed 
the  fears  of  any  who  may  have  been  alarmed  by 
Zwingli's  charge  that  Luther  was  shrinking  back 
toward  the  Roman  foM. 

Numerous  ]>ersonal  letters  of  consolation 
may  be  traced  to  these  fruitful  m(»nths,  as  well  as 
a  careful  selection  of  scriptural  j)assages  calcu- 
lattMl  to  bring  comfort  to  those  in  distress,  and  a 
fervent  admonition  to  all  to  meekly  bear  the  cross. 
The  latter  may  have  Ix-cn  suggested  by  the  arrival 
of  a  handsome  seal-ring  j>rescnted  by  the  prince, 
John  Fredcriek.  The  original  coat-of-arnns  of 
the  Luther  family  liad  been  a  cross-ltow  with  a 
rose  upon  each  side.  The  new  design,  elaboratinl 
l>y  Luther  as  an  embodiment  of  his  theology,  he 
Idnjself  thus  explains:  First,  let  tiiere  be  a  cross 
in  black  within  a  heart  of  natunil  color,  that  I 
may  be  reminded  that  faith  in  the  ('rucilie<l  saves 
US.  Although  it  is  a  black  cross,  which  crucilies 
and  may  be  t'Xpctrtid  to  give  pain,  yc  t  it  leaves 


A    SECOND    IMrUISoNMKNT.  167 

tlio  lioart  in  its  own  color,  does  not  destroy 
nature,  i.  e.,  it  docs  not  kill,  hut  urosorvcs  alive; 
for  tlie  just  lives  hy  his  faith  in  the  Crucified. 
Let  the  lieart  stand  in  the  midst  of  a  wliitc  rose, 
to  indicate  that  faith  «xives  joy,  comfort  and  i)eace. 
Let  the  rose  he  white,  and  not  red,  for  white  is 
the  C()l(»r  of  spirits  and  all  angels.  The  rose 
stands  in  a  field  of  celestial  color,  })ecause  such 
joy  in  tlie  Spirit  and  in  faith  is  a  foretaste  of  the 
heavenly  joy  now  assured  to  the  heliever  and  to 
he  freely  revealed  hereafter.  Around  the  field  of 
hlue  let  there  he  a  golden  circle,  to  indicate  that 
the  hlessedness  of  heaven  endures  forever,  and  is 
precious  heyond  all  joy  and  wealth,  as  gold  is  the 
nohlest  and  most  precious  metaL 


ciiAP'ri:i:  xviii 


THE  CHEAT  CONFESiJlON. 


At  liMiiitli  tho  Kinporor  arrivo^l  with  crn^at  pomp 
at  Aiiirsl»urir.  His  first  onlcr  forbade  the  preach- 
ing nf  tln'  i*n»tr>t:int  )>:irty,  and  rctpiircci  iIrmm  all 
to  join  in  the  procession  on  the  following:  day, 
wliicli  was  the  festival  of  Corpus  CMiristi.  The 
latter  linally  a«:reed  to  yield  the  liherty  of  preneh- 
iniX  for  the  time  heinir,  jirovided  the  same  restrie- 
tion  were  laid  upon  their  adversaries.  In  the 
iclolatrous  procoHsion,  however,  the  Kvaniielieal 
Princes  declined  to  participate,  asserting::  that  their 
consciences  would  not  allow  them  to  do  so.  Tin* 
concession  was  reiMrded  as  a  great  victory  by  the 
Komish  party,  who  tiiemselves  cared  l)Ut  little  for 
tlie  privilcLT**  of  preaehinj:;  hut  the  absence  of  so 
lari^'e  an<l  respectahle  a  ]>ortion  of  the  Diet  from 
the  procession  was  a  striking  evidence  of  the  wide- 
spread defection  from  th<'  pajial  ranks. 

Melanchthon  had  toiled  faithfully  in  recasting 
the  Articles  of  Smalcald  and  Torgau.  The  result 
of  his  lal)ors,  since  known  to  the  world  as  the 
Augsburg  Confession,  having  nx'eived  the  en- 
dorsciiient  of  I.ntlnr,  was  signed  hy  the  Protest- 
ants on  .lune  2.*M  and  presented  to  the  Diet  June 
30th.  The  Kmperor  desired  that  it  he  (juietly 
handed  to  him,  hut,  upon  the  demand  of  the  sign- 
ers, permi.ssion  was  given  for  tlie  reading  of  the 
(lerman  copy,  a  duty  which  was  admimhly  per- 
formed hy  the  Saxon  Chancellor.  Priick. 

The  document,  in  the  first  twenty-one  articl(»s, 
presents  the  leading  doctrines  of  the  Scriptures 
(IDS) 


Tin:    CHKAT    (X)NFESSION.  1()9 

witli  judicial  calmness  and  diLMiily,  in  languap'  of 
transjuiivnt  simplicity,  and  then,  in  seven  articles, 
dt'siirnatcs  the  leading  abuses  aj^ainst  which  tes- 
timony had  been  borne  by  the  Heiormcrs.  Luther 
read  and  re-read  the  articles,  deliLdited  witli  their 
lucidity  and  liti'rary  tinish,  declarinu^  that  he  could 
not  have  troddi-n  so  lightly,  yet  well  satisfied  to 
tind  in  tliem  the  essentials  of  the  faith.  When  he 
learned  that  they  had  actually  been  presented  to 
the  Diet  as  the  unanimous  confession  of  the  Evan- 
p'lical  Estates,  his  exultation  wils  unbounded. 
He  saw  in  the  act  a  fulfilment  of  the  declaration 
of  tlie  Psalmist :  "I  will  sj)eak  of  thy  testimonies 
also  before  kint;s,  and  will  not  be  ashamed,"  and 
thanke<l  God  that  he  had  lived  to  see  the  day. 

The  course  of  history  has  fully  justified  his  esti- 
mate of  the  event.  The  })olitical  combinations 
ami  }tlans,  which  to  many  seemed  matters  of  su- 
jtreme  importance,  are  now  well  nijzh  for^^otten, 
but  tlie  Augsburg  Confession  yet  stands  befori' 
tlie  World  as  the  vital  embodiment  of  the  spirit  of 
the  Reformation  and  one  of  the  grandest  trophies 
of  the  Christian  ages.  In  it  we  find,  in  perfect 
combination,  Luther's  prophetic  vision  of  pro- 
foundest  spiritual  truth  and  Melanchthon's 
matchless  skill  in  accurate  exjjression.  It  has 
been  j»ractically  the  model  for  all  subse(]uent 
Protestant  confessions,  and,  translated  into  many 
languages,  tlie  firm  bond  of  union  between  all 
l>ranches  of  the  great  Lutheran  communion. 

The  reading  of  the  Confession  made  a  deep  im- 
pression upon  the  a.ssenjbly.  Its  ])rin(iples  were 
so  large  ly  in  accord  with  the  accej>ted  doctrines  of 
the  Church,  so  reasonable,  and  so  convincingly 
stated,  that  prejudices  faded  away  before  it,  and 
the  bitterest  enemies  were  inspired  with  deep  re- 
spect for  their  antagunistd. 


170  LrTHER,   TIIK    HKFORMER. 

Fonrcitios,  led  hy  Strnssl>ur<?,  proscntj^l  thronpli 
tlu'ir  rcprcst'iitalivt'S  an  iinltjxii.lriit  cniifcs.-ii.n, 
known  to  history  as  the  Tetrapolitana,  au'l 
Zwingli  a<l(lr«-ssi'(l  to  tliu  Kinporor  a  statement  of 
hisown  vifwsand  those  of  liisininiediateassociates. 
Of  the  hitter,  nothing;  more  was  lieard,  while  the 
former  attained  some  importance  at  a  hiter  (hiy  as 
an  exposition  of  views  intermediate  between  those 
of  I.uther  and  Zwin<:li.  Neither  played  any  further 
part  in  the  ])roeeedin,«rs  of  the  Diet. 

The  KmjKTor  appointed  a  eonnnissJMn  of  lend- 
in*;  Komish  theolo^dans  to  ])repare  a  Refutation. 
The  result  of  their  labors,  after  having  heen 
several  times  referred  haek  to  them  as  imsatisfac- 
tory,  was  finally  accepted  and  read  to  the  Diet  on 
Aujiust  8d  as  the  expn^ssion  of  the  Emj)eror's 
views,  in  accordance  with  which  he  ])roposed  to 
regulate  his  course  in  the  matter.  The  re<|U(\^t  of 
the  Reformers  for  an  oflieial  copy  was  refused. 
Three  days  later,  Philip  of  Hesse,  in  disgust,  Kft 
the  city  without  imperial  pfTinission. 

\'arious  efforts  were  made  to  effect  a  com- 
promise between  the  opposing  parties — a  result  to 
wliich  the  Emperor  would  have  ))y  no  means  been 
averse.  The  Romanists,  under  the  direction  of 
the  papal  legate,  Campeggio,  who  was  extraordi- 
narily liberal  in  his  own  views,  ma<le  larL'c  eon- 
c<'Hsi(»ns  upon  points  of  d(M'trine,  whil«'  Melanch- 
thon  was  ready  to  yield  much  in  tlu*  sphere  of 
outward  obs«Tvances,  even  to  the  ext«'nt  of  recog- 
nizing the  jurisdiction  of  the  Roman  bishops  in 
the  temponil  alTairs  of  the  Church.  Wet  ks  of 
t^nliouH  negotiations  proving  utterly  fruitless,  the 
Emperor  on  September  ITlh  announce<l  that  he 
wouM  labor  to  scM-ure  the  calling  of  a  general 
council,  but  that  the  Prot4'stants  must  meanwhile 
conform  U)  all  the  ri'«iuirements  of  the  estal>lishetl 


THE   (iHKAT    (ONFKSSION.  171 

Chunli.  The  latter  ri'plied,  :is  at  Spires,  that 
tlu'V  coiiM  not  disobey  their  eonscienees. 

Afti'r  further  ])arley,  the  KniixTor  on  September 
22(1  (leelared  tliat  the  Confession  had  been  re- 
futed and  rejected,  and  that  he  proposed  to 
unite  with  the  Pope  and  other  Christian  jirinees 
in  exterminating  the  troublesome  seet  that  had 
,L:iven  it  l>irth.  The  Elector  Jolni  left  Au<rsl)urg 
on  the  followinfr  <hiy.  Luther  joined  his  retinue 
at  Cobur«?,  and,  after  si)endin^  some  days  with  the 
court  at  Torgau,  returned  to  Wittenberg.  He  had 
taken  no  interest  in  the  proceedings  following  the 
}>resi'ntation  of  the  Confession,  exce}>t  to  examine 
ami  passionately  condenm  the  various  formulas 
of  eomjjromise  suggested  and  constantly  urge  his 
fri(  nds  to  steadfastness  in  maintaining  the  truth 
which  they  had  so  gloriously  confessed. 

Tlie  formal  edict  was  j)romulgated  Nov(Mnber 
VM\\.  It  allowed  the  Protestants  live  months  for 
rcilection,  })romised  earnest  effort  to  secure  the 
calling  of  a  council  within  six  months,  l)ut  for- 
l)ade  in  the  meanwhile  tlie  printing  or  sale  of 
evangelical  documents  or  the  making  of  j)rose- 
lyt<s,  and  demanded  the  restituti<jn  of  cloisters, 
submission  to  the  authority  of  Uomish  l)ishops, 
etc.  Luther  set  the  exanjjjle  of  obedience  (?)  by 
publisliing  at  once  a  scathing  review  of  the 
'•so-called  iiuperial  edict,"  in  the  name  of  the 
trutli  defying  "all  emperors,  wliether  Roman, 
Turk  or  'fartar,  Pope,  cardinals,  bishops,  i)riest*<, 
princes,  lords,  and  the  whole  world,  with  all  the 
devils  l)esides."  He  denounced  the  apparent 
friendliness  of  tln'  ])apal  party,  as  l)ut  manifest- 
ing their  willingness  to  sacrilice  the  very  ci'utral 
doctrines  of  their  system  touching  salvation  if 
tiny  miu'ht  but  secure  their  Imld  upon  the  bene- 
liccs  AWi]  ni:iiiit;iiii  tlitii-  >c.iii(lal(»iis  d  is>.ip;ition. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

WAH    eL«»l  i>-    M  \  1  M'. 

Thk  qnostion  wliothcr  armed  resistance  of 
the  Emperor  would  uiuU'r  any  circuiiistanccs  Ik* 
justilicMl,  now  }>ecanie  an  intensely  j)ractiial  one. 
Luther  still  ur^^cd  the  duty  of  sulmiis.^ion  to  law- 
ful authority  at  any  sacrilice.  liut  wlnn  the 
counselors  of  the  Elector  jjointed  out  tliat  the 
Emperor's  course  itself  was  illepd  as  he  was 
transcending  the  limits  of  the  authority  vested  in 
his  otfice  hy  the  constitution  of  the  empire  under 
whicli  he  had  heen  elected,  Luther  iinally  with- 
drew his  opposition,  casting  the  responsjltility  of 
deciding  the  legal  (juestions  involve<l  ujton  the 
jurists,  within  whose  j>rovinc('  such  matters  lay. 
Scrupk's  of  consciences  l)eing  thus  allaytnl,  the 
princes  were  not  slow  in  prejiaring  fur  the  worst. 
At  a  convention  of  the  Smalcald  League,  held  in 
Decemher,  the  confederates  resolved  to  resist  with 
their  united  forces  any  attempt  to  execute  the 
edict  of  Augshurg. 

Duke  Ferdinand  was  in  January,  loiU,  in 
acconlance  with  the  Enij»vror's  desire,  hut  in  dis- 
regard of  the  constitutional  rights  of  the  (ierman 
jtrincts,  <  rownrd  King  of  the  Roman  Empire 
of  Germany  at  Cologne — a  st«  p  calculated  to 
greatly  facilitate  the  execution  of  the  Emperor's 
plans  on  (Jcnnan  territory  during  the  prolonged 
abHcnccH  of  the  latter.  The  Evangelical  Princes 
were  strongly  averse  to  the  new  arrangement,  hut 
only  the  Saxon  Elector  ventun*d  to  enter  public 
protest  againat  it.  The  lines  were  now  lirinlv 
(172) 


WAIi    CLDIDS    STAVKI).  17.'> 

drawn  U]»on  l>')th  sides,  and  all  looked  forward 
witli  anxiety  to  the  inevital)le  elash  of  arms. 

The  cities  of  Southern  Germany  were  still 
oxeluded  from  the  cniifcdiratinn  of  the  ovan«:eli- 
cal  princes  npon  doctrinal  ^'rounds.  ThroiiL'h  the 
active  mediation  of  Bucer,  they  were  uow  induced 
to  a<lopt  a  new  fornmla,  suhscrihed  also  hy  <Eco- 
lam])adius,  in  which  they  ai)proached  much  more 
nearly  to  Luther's  view  of  the  Lord's  Supper. 
This  document,  thoujxh  not  altogether  satisfactory 
to  the  latter,  led  him  to  assume  a  more  tolerant 
attitude,  and  was  regarded  hy  the  princes  as  a 
sutlicient  concession  to  entitle  its  signers  to  repre- 
sentation in  the  Smalcald  League,  which  was  thus 
greatly  strengthened. 

All  efforts  to  prevail  upon  Zwingli  to  m<»(lify 
the  statement  of  his  extreme  vi<ws  proved  futile. 
lie  became,  however,  more  deei»ly  involved  in 
the  political  contlicts  of  his  native  land,  an<l 
met  a  patriot's  death  upon  the  field  of  Cap- 
pel,  October  3Lst,  153L  CEcolampadius  died  a 
few  weeks  later,  and  the  influence  of  Switzerland 
in  the  doctrinal  discussions  of  (Jermany  rapidly 
waned,  while  the  crushing  defeat  of  Zwingli's 
plans  banished  all  thought  of  political  combina- 
tions in  that  (piarter. 

Having  entered  the  field  of  politics,  the  League 
now  cmbrace(l  the  o])portunities  soon  afforded  of 
forming  strange  alliances.  The  Dukes  of  lia- 
varia,  althou<;h  strict  Romanists,  were  exceed- 
ingly jealous  of  th(i  encroachments  of  the  Emperor 
and  stood  ready  to  join  the  Protestants  in  resist- 
ing the  latter,  while  the  Kings  of  France  and 
Kngland,  impelle'l  by  similar  motives,  sent  mes- 
sages of  encouragement.  All  such  movements 
couM  but  increase  Luther's  instinctive  distrust 
of  the  entire  method  of  political   mnf.  .brMtioii. 


17  i  Ll'TlIKK,   THE    HEFOHMEU. 

He  insisted  tliat  the  cause  of  truth  would  he  much 
safer  if  left  Fimply  in  the  hands  of  (Jod. 

lUit  the  cry  for  peace  now  eanie  from  the  camp 
of  the  adversary.  Tlie  Turkisli  arnjy  again  in- 
vaded Austria  in  tlic  sjirinj^  of  1532,  and  the 
services  of  tlic  Snialcald  heroes  were  sorely 
needed  by  the  Emperor.  He  j)roposed  tlnre- 
fore  to  grant  to  the  actual  mend)ers  of  the  League 
immunity  from  persecution  until  the  assemhling 
of  the  proj)osed  council.  The  latter  were  not 
satisfied  with  the  concessions  granted,  hut  in- 
sisted that  similar  privileges  should  he  accorded 
to  any  others  who  might  in  the  future  join  their 
ranks.  It  was  only  hy  the  m(>st  strenuous  elTorts 
of  Luther  that  they  were  linally  induced  to  accept 
the  terms  thus  offered.  The  *'  Religious  Peace 
of  Nuremberg,"  which  was  then  guaranteed, 
while  hut  a  temi)orary  arrangement,  was  a  great 
trium|»h  for  the  cause  of  the  Reformation.  It 
gave  ollieial  recognition  and  political  standing  to 
the  followers  of  the  hniely  monk  win)  had  eleven 
years  hefore  heen  j»roelaimed  an  accursed  outlaw. 
Yet  it  came  unsought,  and  was  ])ossihle  at  last  only 
heeause  that  same  monk  exerted  all  his  inlluence 
to  hold  the  princes  firm  in  their  allegiance  to  the 
Emperor  who  had  condemned  him.  The  papal 
representatives  wept  in  mortification  to  see  all 
their  ])lans  of  pei*secution  thus  thwarted,  hut 
Luther  gratefully  exclaime<l:  ''(Jod  has  merci- 
fully answire<l  our  poor  juayers." 

The  Elector  John  the*  Steadfast,  through 
whose  unfaltering  zeal  the  renewetl  Church  had 
he<'n  so  firndy  estai»lishe(l  upon  Saxon  territory, 
iVu'i\  in  the  faith,  August  KUh,  LW2,  his  life's 
Work  heing  well  rounde<l  out  in  the  achievement 
of  the  long-desin-*!  n'ligious  peace.  Luther  we]»t 
like  u  child  us  he  delivered  the  funeral  address, 


WAK    (LidDs    STAVED.  17") 

ill  wliicli  lie  attested  in  ^lowiniz  tmiis  the  Clnis- 
ti;iii  chiiractcr  ;iiul  the  fuitliful  frimdsliij)  of  ihc 
departed  prinee.  The  son,  John  Frederick, 
who  succeeded  his  honored  father,  had  been  from 
childhood  an  ardent  admirer  of  the  great  Re- 
former and  continued  to  maintain  relations  of 
the  greatest  intimacy  with  him,  combined  with 
almost  reverent  regard.  However  storms  might 
beat  without,  in  his  own  home-land  T.uther  was 
now,  and  t<>  the  end  of  his  days,  assured  of  a  sym- 
l)athy  as  cordial  as  ever  existed  between  a  gener- 
ous prince  and  his  most  honored  subject. 


riTAPTKI^  X\. 


HARMONY    AMONG    BRETHHEN. 

With  the  year  1532  hej^an  for  Luther  a  period 
of  conijmrative  ininuinity  from  distracting  con- 
llicts.  He  was  now  inahlcd  to  devote  liinisclf 
anew  to  conirrnial  literary  lal•(.r^^  In  lo-'U  lie 
finished  Ins  translation  of  the  Bible,  including 
the  Apocrypha,  and  ]>ultlished  the  tirst  complete 
edition.  In  the  following  year  appeared  the 
richrst  ])rodu(t  of  his  academic  Urtures,  his  large 
Commentary  upon  Galatians,  in  which  lie 
develojis  with  all  the  ardor  of  his  earlier  days 
the  supreme  importance  of  simj)le  faith,  and  de- 
jjicts  in  glowing  terms  the  atoning  work  of  Christ, 
lie  found  great  delight  also  in  prosecuting  liis 
lectures  upon  Genesis,  i)reached  frcipiently  in 
his  own  house  and  in  the  church,  and  conducted 
a  wide  an<l  constantly  growing  correspondence. 

T«^  the  hroadcning  intluencc  of  these  devotional 
labors  is  doid)tless  to  he  in  large  measure  attri- 
buted the  remarkable  mildness  now  disj)laycd 
by  the  Keformer  toward  those  who  difTered  with 
him  upon  imjxntant  points.  Nor  was  this  merely 
a  i)assing  mood.  During  the  years  now  l)cfi»rt' 
UH,  the  desire  that  all  earnest  friends  of  the 
(ioH|)el  might  \tv  united  in  bon«ls  of  mutfial 
confidence  liuils  frnpn-nt  expression  in  Ids  cor- 
r(*Hpondence.  T<>  atl^iin  this,  he  declares  tliat  he 
wouhl  gladly  lay  down  his  life.  Not  for  the  sake 
of  political  advantage  does  he  desire  it,  but  for 
the  honor  of  Christ's  name  an<l  the  8]»iritual  ad- 
vancement of  llitt  kingdom  among  men.  While 
(170) 


IIAKMoNV    AMnN(;    lUlKTIIIlEN.  177 

not  al):itinu'  JV  tittle  of  his  own  views,  lie  nut 
witli  candid  cordiality  the  cfTorts  of  lUicer  and 
othei-s  to  secure  harmony  ainon<r  all  who  ])ro- 
fessed  with  him  the  cardinal  doctrine  of  salvation 
tlirou«:li  faith  alone. 

A  collo(|uy  of  tlieolojxians,  held  at  Cassel  under 
tlie  leadership  of  Melanchthon  and  liueer,  pre- 
pari'd  the  way  for  a  fuller  conference,  whicli  was 
called  hy  tlie  authority  of  the  Elector  John  Fre<l- 
erick  and  Philip  of  Ilcsse,  to  meet  at  Eisenach  in 
May,  1536.  As  Luther  was  unahle  to  leave  his 
liome  at  the  appointed  time,  the  theoloirians  as- 
semhled  at  Wittenberg  The  timorous  Melanch- 
thon,  who  dreaded  a  fresh  outhreak  of  the  earlier 
strife,  having  used  every  efTort  to  delay  the 
assemhlini?  of  the  conference,  failed  to  aj)i>ear  at 
its  ojM'nin^'  session.  It  soon  hecamc  apj)arent 
that  a  irreat  advance  had  been  made  l)y  the  min- 
isters of  SoutluTU  (Germany  in  the  direction  of 
Luther's  views.  After  a  free  cxjiression  of  senti- 
ment nj)on  the  doctrine  of  the  Lord's  Supper  and 
a  private  consultation  of  the  Wittenberg  theo- 
lojrians  in  an  adjoinin^^  apartment,  Luther,  with 
l>eamin^'  countenance,  announced  that  he  and  his 
associates  were  prepartd  to  extendi  the  hand  of 
fraternal  recognition  to  all  the  asseml»l<d 
brethren  and  tliose  whom  tliey  rei)resented.  The 
declaration  was  received  with  tears  of  joy,  with 
folded  hands,  and  reverent  ejaculations  of  thanks- 
giving to  God. 

On  the  following  day,  no  diiliculty  was  exj)eri- 
enced  in  att;iininL'  hariii«>ni<ius  eon<'lusions  in  the 
statement  of  other  leading  doctrines  upon  which 
opinions  had  dilTcred.  Tiie  next  day,  being  the 
festival  of  the  Ascension,  Luther  preached  with 
more  than  his  usual  ])ower  fnun  tlw  great  com- 
mission of  the  departing  L«»rd  to  His  Church: 
12 


178  LUTIIEH,   THE    HEFOUMER. 

**Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Oospcl 
to  every  creature."  It  was,  further,  brought  to 
li^dit  that  even  in  Switzerland  the  extreme  views 
of  ZwinirH  had  hcen  aliandoned  hy  many,  an<l 
all  aj^n-ed  to  d(»al  kindly  and  patimtly  with  any 
who  mi;:ht  still  cling  to  the  teaching  of  their 
former  leader. 

The  eelehration  of  the  holy  communion  with 
the  Wittenherg  conirreL'ation  on  the  Lord's  day 
was  a  public  confirmation  nf  the  happy  con- 
clusion of  the  delil)erati«uis.  The  use  of  candles 
and  clerical  robes  in  the  services  awakene<l  some 
anxiety  among  the  delegates  from  remoter  sck^- 
tions,  hut  their  fears  were  allayed  when  tlu'y  were 
assured  that  hut  little  importance  was  attached 
to  these  ancient  forms  and  that  they  were  often 
dcsigne(lly  omitted. 

On  >h)nday  morning  a  fornnda  drawn  liy  the 
hand  of  Melanchthon  was  signed  by  all  the  par- 
ticipants. It  was  understood,  indeed,  that  the 
little  company  there  j)resent  could  speak  only  for 
themselves,  and  that  their  conclusions  would  he 
hinchng  upon  others  only  when  f(»rmally  accepted. 
Hut  tlie  •*  Wittenberg  Concord,"  with  its  cor- 
dial endorstiMciit  of  pulpit  and  ahar  f(ll»>wship, 
efTcML'ted  a  practical  union  of  the  evangelical 
churches  of  (iermany,  which  was  maintained 
until  the  outbreak  of  new  controversies  after  the 
<leath  of  Luther. 

The  movement  thus  happily  consummated 
must  be  credited,  in  its  inception,  to  the  zeal  of 
the  practical  Philip  of  Hesse  and  the  mediation 
of  the  indefatigable  Huccr.  Their  planning  would 
have  lK»on  futile,  however,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
remarkable  persistency  of  Luther  in  advocacy 
of  the  conferent-e  and  his  readim-.-s  to  toKrate  the 
utmost  divergencies  of  statement  which  did  not 


IIAK.MONY    AMONd     lUnMUKKN.  17*.> 

for  liiin  iu'(.'i'?;sarily  involve  :i  denial  of  funda- 
mental truth.  It  is  a  circumstance  not  to  be 
overlooked,  that  the  first  efTectual  summons  to 
harmony  and  toleration  within  the  ranks  of  the 
reformed  Church  went  forth  from  Wittenberg. 


(•nAPTi:i:  xxi. 

rAKi.i:vi.\(;  w nn  thk  rArisxs. 

The  Peace  of  Xur(Mnl)iir^  assured  iinnuinity 
from  perseeiition  only  to  those  who  were  already 
attached  to  the  cause  of  the  Reformation.  As  if 
in  mockery  of  this  fechle  attempt  to  clieck  the 
risim:  tide,  the  followini:  years  were  marked  hy 
almost  constant  defections  from  the  ranks  of 
the  Romanists.  Philij)  of  Hesse  found  occasion 
to  snatch  Wiirtemher^  from  the  control  of  the 
Haps))urg8,  and  at  once  re-organized  its  churches 
upon  evancflioal  principles.  One  after  another, 
the  imi)ortant  cities  aloni^  the  Rhine,  includin«^ 
Au«:sl)ur^',  and  whole  sections  of  Northern  (ler- 
many  threw  off  the  yoke.  The  Smalcald  Leairue 
had  become  a  power  to  he  r(\><pected.  Even  the 
Emperor  and  the  Pope  l)e<;an  to  realize  that  it 
would  he  impossible  to  crush  this  vij^orous  move- 
ment by  force  of  arms.  Events  in  the  political 
horizon  were  constantly  reminding;  the  former 
that  he  mi«;ht  at  any  moment  sorely  need  the 
support  of  a  united  (Jermany. 

W'itliin  the  same  period  tlirrc  IkhI  arisen  an 
iiillu<  ntial  party  within  the  Roman  Catholic 
church  which  sincerely  desired  a  reform  of  lla- 
granl  abuses,  and  was  willing:,  to  this  en<l.  to 
welcome  even  the  Protestants  to  a  general  coun- 
cil, in  the  hope  that  by  duo  concessions  they 
miglit  yet  l)e  induced  to  acknowledge  in  some 
Fcnse  the  authority  of  the  Pope.  Upon  the  drath 
of  Ch-ment  VII.  in  I'M,  his  successor,  Paul  III., 
prumiHcd  to  summon  a  cnuncil  to  nnct  at  Mantua 
(ISO) 


rAKLKViNc  wrm    riii:  rAi'isi-s.  181 

and  clispatrhcd  a  diploiiiiitic  messenger  to  (Jcr- 
nuuiy  to  iiwaken  an  interest  in  the  project,  or  at 
least  i)revent  the  threatened  caHin*^  of  an  inde- 
pendent council  of  the  (Jernian  churches.  The 
legate,  Vergerius  hy  name,  exceeded  his  in- 
structions wlieii,  led  hy  curiosity,  he  visited 
Wittenberg  and  invited  Luther  and  his  friend 
Ikigenhagen  to  breakfast  with  liim.  The  Re- 
former, appreciating  the  humor  of  the  situation, 
had  himself  smootldy  shaven  that  he  might  ap- 
pear young  and  vigorous,  put  on  his  best  clothes, 
with  a  golden  chain  about  his  neck,  and,  to  use 
his  own  expression,  "])Iayed  the  genuine  Luther" 
to  the  dismay  of  the  disconci-rted  dignitary,  treat- 
ing him  with  scant  courtesy  and  sliucking  his 
sense  oi  j)ropriety  by  tlie  l)oldest  self-assertion. 
The  legate  left  in  indignation,  in  his  report  of  the 
interview  denounced  Luther  as  a  "beast,"  but 
thirteen  years  later  renounced  a  lucrative  ])osition 
and  jmblicly  adopted  the  i)rinciples  of  his  un- 
manageable guest. 

The  Poj)e  having  ])roclainied  May  23d,  1537,  as 
thi!  date  for  a  general  council,  the  Elector  re- 
(juested  Lutlier  to  prepare  a  statement  of  the 
doctrines  which  he  would  maintain  at  all  hazards 
before  a  council  or  when  brought  face  to  face  with 
death  and  the  throne  of  judgment,  and  to  j>resent 
the  same  to  his  foremost  associates  for  their  en- 
dorsement under  the  same  solemn  sanctions.  The 
result  was  the  document  known  to  history  as  the 
Smalcald  Articles.  It  ])resents  the  doctrines  of 
the  Augsburg  Confession  in  Luther's  own  vigor- 
ous style,  with  an  additional  pungent  article 
U])on  the  papacy.  It  was  carrie<l  l>y  the  IClector 
to  a  convt'Ution  of  the  Protestant  allies  held  at 
Smalcald  in  February,  l^.'^T,  but  there  was  no 
occasion  for  itt>  presentation,  as  the  heroic  princes 


1S2  Ll'TIIEH,   Tin:    KEKOItMKIl. 

at  oiu'o  (Kvhircd  that  tlicy  would  liave  nothing  to 
do  with  a  founcil  ])hMl^i'd  in  advance  to  the  (•t)n- 
denination  of  the  truth  and  so  constituted  as  to 
Im)  subservient  to  the  will  of  tlie  Pope.  The 
sijrnificancc  of  this  Smalcald  Convention  lies 
chiclly  in  the  fact  that  it  jircscntrd  the  lii>t  direct 
and  open  defiance  of  the  ])apal  authority  upon 
the  j)art  of  the  Protestant  Estates, 

Luther,  who  with  Mdanclithon  and  P>iiir<ii]iaL't  n 
had  acconipanicfl  the  I'^icctor,  was  taken  seriously 
sick  soon  after  liis  arrival  at  Smalcald,  and  it  was 
thoufjht  for  a  time  tliat  the  attack  would  certainly 
prove  fatal.  He  longed  to  die  upon  Saxon  soil, 
and  with  many  misfrivinfrs  the  liomeward  journey 
was  undertaken.  The  mcnd)ers  of  the  conven- 
tion feathered  about  as  he  was  placed  in  his  car- 
riage, when,  sitting  uj),  he  made  the  traditional 
sign  of  tlie  cross  al)ove  tlie  throng,  saying  :  "The 
I^)rd  fdl  you  with  His  blessing,  and  with  hatriKl 
of  the  Pope." 

The  aj)|)arent  <]isposition  upon  the  part  of  tlie 
Papists  to  compromise  arouse<l  all  tlie  old  lire  of 
the  Reformer.  He  i»ublishcd  in  rapid  succession 
a  series  of  pamplilets  in  vigorous  polemic  tone, 
fnllnwe.l  in  1'):;'.)  I .v  a  large  work  entitled,  *' Of 
Councils  and  Churches,"  in  which  lie  utterly 
shattered  the  claim  of  infallil»ility  made  in  behalf 
<»f  the  papal  councils,  and  marked  out  in  broad 
lines  the  cliaractcristics  of  the  true  Christian 
Cliurdi. 

While  Luther  continued  thus  t<i  storm  the 
tottering  fortifications  of  tin*  papacy,  the  hand  of 
I*rovidi'nce  was  w<»rking  wondrous  transformations 
in  th«-  jiolitieal  aspect  of  the  nation.  Duke 
(leorge,  of  Ducal  Saxony,  the  bitterest  i>ersonal 
enemy  of  Luther  an<l  his  cause,  died  suddiidy 
soon  after,  follow  iiiL'  hi'-,  two  sons  to  the  irrave.  and 


PAKLKYINC;    WITH    THK    I^ATISI-S.  1S3 

his  })n)f]u'r  Honry  at  once  jxnmtcd  to  the  jjt'oplo 
of  the  nahn  the  CJosjx'l  j)riviU'u«'s  lon^j  denied 
them.  :in<l  now  eagerly  welcomed.  Branden- 
burg, Mecklenberg  and  distant  Denmark  had 
also  become  Protestant  tcrrit«»ry. 

At  a  convention  of  the  Smalcald  League  held 
at  Frankfort  in  April,  1531),  a  dele«^ate  from  the 
Emperor  gave  the  assurance  that  no  active  meas- 
ures would  he  taken  against  the  Protestants  for 
the  next  eighteen  months,  and  that  the  (Jerman 
testates  should  be  i)ermitted,  at  a  convention  called 
for  the  purpose,  to  name  a  connnittee  who  should 
endeavor,  in  conjunction  with  a  commission  ap- 
pointed by  the  Em})eror,  to  f(^rmulate  a  basis  of 
union  between  the  oj)posing  j)arties  in  Germany. 
This  was  a  large  concession.  It  made  provision 
practically  for  what  the  Reformers  had  long  de- 
sired— a  council  of  the  German  Church,  with 
no  reference  to  the  authority  of  the  Pope.  The 
latter  was  furious,  but  the  Emperor  was  in  posi- 
tion, at  that  particular  juncture,  to  profit  by  the 
alarm  of  His  Holiness,  and  hence  continued  to 
encourage  the  hopes  of  the  Protestants. 

After  a  series  of  ])reliminary  meetings,  includ- 
ing a  four-days'  colUxjuy  at  \\'orms  between  Mel- 
anchthon  aad  the  old  arch-enemy  of  Luther, 
Jolm  Eck,  the  Emj)eror  at  length  decided  that  the 
religious  (|Uestions  should  be  freely  considered  at 
a  regular  Diet  of  the  Empire,  to  be  held  at  Ratis- 
bon  in  the  spring  <»f  \i')i\.  He  himself  a])j>ointed 
a  commission  of  three  representative  men  from 
each  party,  Eck,  King  and  (;ru]>per  on  the  on<» 
side,  and  upon  the  other  Melanehthon,  Pueer  and 
Pistorius.  The  selection  indicated  a  real  desire 
ujion  the  part  of  the  Emperor  to  elTect  a  reconcili- 
ation of  the  opposing  parties,  and  the  attempt 
was    made    under    the    most    favorable    circum- 


184  LUTIIKH,   THK    KKKoKMKK. 

stances.  It  is  of  special  interest  for  us  to  note  that 
Luther,  wlio  wius  at  tliis  time  so  tolerant  toward 
variant  factions  in  the  Kvan«;elieal  party,  had  no 
faith  whatever  in  any  favoralde  result  from  these 
n«'<r<»tiatinns  with  the  Tapists.  While  advising  his 
friends  to  meet  tlie  advances  of  the  ICmperor  in  a 
kindly  spirit,  and  always  wi-leominf?  opj>ortunitit's 
to  discuss  the  points  at  issue,  he  cahnly  warned 
his  hopeful  iussociates  that  these  schemes  would 
not  succeed  unless  a  reconciliation  could  first  be 
brought  about  between  Christ  and  IJelial. 

The  work  of  the  commission  at  first  proceeded 
with  astoundinix  rapidity.  Formulas  were 
adopted  upon  tlic  subjects  of  thr  oriLMiial  state' 
of  man,  freewill,  the  origin  of  evil,  am!  ••liLnnal 
sin.  Upon  tin*  vital  (juestion  of  justification  by 
faith,  the  Komish  theologians  yielded  the  tra- 
ditional dcjctrine  of  their  church,  and  agreed  to  a 
sUitement  which  might  be  understood  in  a  strictly 
evangelical  sense,  though  leaving  some  room  for  an 
un<lue  e.\altation  of  man's  own  works  of  love. 

At  tliis  sta-ji'  of  tlir  work,  its  results  were  sub- 
mitted to  the  Elector  John  Frederick.  His 
attention  was  at  once  fixed  ui)on  tlie  cumbrous 
article  upon  justification  by  faith.  Too  many 
words! — sai<l  the  honest,  straightf«)rward  man — 
and  the  force  of  its  positive  statements  neutralized 
by  the  "  l)ut  "  in  the  last  clau.se.  He  sent  it  post- 
haste to  Luther,  who  fully  endorsed  the  judgment 
of  his  prince.  No  pat<'hwork  for  them!  Still,  the 
Reformer,  waited  upon  l>y  a  special  connnittee 
sent  from  Katisbon,  ri*sponded  in  terms  so  court- 
eous that  they  were  almost  mistaken  for  approval, 
and  advised  his  own  frientls  t«»  interpose  no  oIh 
Htacle  to  the  work  of  the  commission.  Let  tluin 
go  on.  The  Papists  will  surrender  everything 
that  concerns  merely  tlie  salvation  of  souls,  but 


rAULKYiNt;  WITH  Tin:  rAi»ii>Ts.  185 

tlu'v  will  j^row  stuM>nrn  when  it  comos  to  the  dis- 
cussinn  of  the  jmpal  authority  and  the  idolatntus 
massi'S.  The  j)roi)lu'('y  was  fully  justilitd.  Thu 
further  eolhxjuy  served  only  to  l)rin;r  out  into 
the  elearer  light  the  irreconcilable  differences 
hetween  the  eontendin;^  j)artit'S.  Tiie  Minju'ror 
(h'sired  that  the  artieles  U])on  which  harmony 
had  heen  attained  should  he  adopted  by  the  Diet  ; 
hut  the  j)apal  party  declared  that  the  doctrines 
upon  which  no  a])proach  to  agreement  could  be 
made  were  the  most  important,  and  the  Tojk^ 
sent  messa<:es  denouncing  the  concessions  already 
made.  The  wIk-Ic  attempt  was  linally  al)andoned, 
and  the  Diet  sini})ly  conlirmed  for  an  indelinite 
iK-riod  the  religious  peace  granted  at   Nureml)erg. 

The  result  of  these  tedious  negotiations  was 
doubtless,  upon  the  whole,  favorable  to  the  cause 
of  the  Reformation.  They  proved  that  it  was 
not  personal  feeling  nor  mere  stubbornness  that 
actuated  the  Reformers,  but  their  devotion  to  a 
great  jjrinciple,  a  principle  now  more  clearly 
than  ever  seen  to  be  totally  irreconcilable  with 
the  hierarchical  system  of  Rome.  They  sug- 
gested further,  only  too  ])lainly,  that  were  it  not 
for  her  lust  of  power,  Rome  herself,  as  repre- 
sented by  her  foremost  theologians,  would  be 
almost  j)rei)ared  to  acknowledge  that,  in  the  great 
doctrinal  battle  of  a  (juarter  of  a  century,  Luther 
hatl  already  gained  the  victory. 

It  remained  only  for  the  Rope  to  rally  his 
forces,  and  in  a  c(»uncil  of  his  own  (o]»ened  at 
Trent,  December  loth,  15-15)  to  repair  if  possil)lo 
the  l)reaehes  made  in  ihe  doctrinal  defences  of 
his  own  j»arty  and  set  up  a  new  standard  with 
which  to  meet  the  victorious  hosts  that  now 
marched  with  the  enthusiasm  of  deep  conviction 
beneath  the  banners  of  the  Augsburg  Confession. 


CHAITKII  XXII 


STANDAHI)    (»F    MOLALITY. 


Thk  critir?!  of  Luther  wt-rr  ii<>t  slow  to  cliarixj* 
upon  liis  doctrine  of  jiistirKatinii  l.y  faitli  :i  t»ii- 
(leney  to  undermine  tlie  foundations  of  moral- 
ity. His  unsparinj:  assaults  upon  the  )»(>asted 
j^ood  works  of  the  Papists  seemed  to  jrive  coun- 
tenance to  the  cliarge  of  comparative  indifference 
to  the  outward  dej)ortment. 

In  nieetin<;  this  ohjection  of  Ins  adversaries, 
Luther  found  liimsclf  in  tlie  very  worthy  com- 
panionship of  tlie  Apostle  Paul,  and  was  as 
little  disturheil  hy  it  as  was  the  latter.  Koth 
alike  rejected  the  idea  of  hasin*?  salvation  upon 
any  work  of  man.  lioth  ^ave  all  the  glory  to  the 
unmerited  grace  of  (iod  extended  to  all  who  sin- 
cerely depend  upon  the  all-sulHcient  sacrifice  of 
Christ.  Only  wilful  l)lindness  could  fail  to  see 
that  such  faith  as  they  advocated  nnist  hring 
forth  gof)d  works  as  surely  as  a  good  tree  will 
hear  good  fruit. 

The  assertion  of  one  of  Luther's  former  asso- 
ciates, Agricola.  tliatgood  works  are  not  necessary 
at  all.  gi\ing  rise  to  the  annoying  Antinomian 
Controversy,  was  refuted  )»y  Luther  to  the  sat- 
isfaction of  all  hut  its  author  ;  and  tlie  history  of 
the  Trotestiint  Church  is  a  standing  witne.»*s  to  tlie 
truth,  that  the  faith  that  justifies  is  a  faith  that 
ah()un<l-  also  in  the  work  of  the  Lord. 

Tin*  personal  life  of  Luther  liimself  was  ahove 
re|)roach.  lie  was  ahstemious  in  his  <liet,  hahit- 
ually  »o  abhorhcd  in  his  work  as  to  have  little  re- 
(186) 


STANDAKl*    OK    MoHAI.ITV.  187 

rranl  for  tlio  |»lcasurt'S  of  the  palatf.  Of  dissipa- 
ti<»n  \\v  woiil«l,  even  as  a  studi'iit,  know  nothing. 
Purity  of  thoii<:lit  and  stronj:  control  of  all  carnal 
j>assions  marked  his  entire  career,  and  lifted  him 
ahove  the  aspersions  of  his  bitterest  foes  in  an  age 
when  tlagrant  lapses  from  the  ])ath  of  social  recti- 
tude were  accounted  venial  olTences. 

He  was,  however,  no  ascetic.  He  was  con- 
stantly assailing  the  ]»rtvaKiit  error  of  the  day, 
which  mistook  a  ])routl  austerity  for  virtue,  and 
k«i»t  the  consciences  of  men  in  bondage  by  the 
minute  nciuirements  of  the  code  of  monastic  self- 
mortilication.  He  claimed  for  himself  and  others 
the  right  to  enjoy  the  good  things  of  life,  and 
.-onutimes  .shocked  the  sensibilities  of  those  who 
yet  clung  to  the  gloomy  ideals  of  the  past  by  the 
boldness  f>f  his  language  in  defence  of  personal 
lilxTty.  H  we  ourselves  are  startled  l)y  the  refer- 
<nces  of  his  biograj>h('rs  to  the  gifts  of  beer  and 
wine  that  were  gratefully  accepted,  we  must  re- 
member that  the  idea  of  total  abstinence  from 
intoxicants  for  the  sake  of  the  weak  brother  was 
foreign  to  that  age,  and  that  Luther  himself  was 
most  guarded  in  the  use  of  alcoholic  stimulants — 
was,  in  fact,  regarded  as  a  model  in  this  resj>ect. 

M'ith  a  clear  conscience,  therefore,  he  could  lift 
uj)  his  voice  in  earnest  warning  to  his  countrym«n 
against  the  ravages  of  the  ••  drink  devil,"  who 
notr>riously  held  the  poor  (lerniaiis  in  >U(h  abject 
Itondage  to  his  dominion.  At  the  time  of  Ids 
death,  he  had  in  contem]>lation  the  ])reparation  of 
a  special  treatise  upon  tin*  subject. 

His  terril»le  arraignment  of  tlic  monastic  sys- 
tem as  a  nursery  of  vice  is  too  well  known  to 
n«|uire  n)ore  than  pa.'^sing  mention.  Already  in 
l.")'J(),  in  his  Address  to  the  yulnlitif,  he  demands 
action  by  those  in  authority  for  the  supprc^^sion  of 


188  LITIIEK,  TlliC    UEFOKMER. 

licentiousness  ;  and  one  of  the  first  fruits  »»f  tlie 
Kt'fornuition  in  the  territory  of  Saxony  was  the 
closing  of  (lisreputahlc  |ihu('S  of  resort 

In  later  years,  when  i)rinees  were  his  friemls, 
his  re^Mrd  for  them  could  not  restrain  him  from 
scathing  denunciation  of  the  loose  morality  of 
courts.  The  growing  luxury  of  the  commercial 
cities,  and  the  rirkless  exjKnditures  of  even  the 
j>oor  peasants,  drew  from  him  indignant  protests. 
The  frivolity  of  tin'  rising  generati«»n,  tiie  tendency 
to  immodesty  in  (hrss  or  in  deportment,  the 
koepiiii:  of  late  hours  and  the  frequenting  of 
public  houses,  wen-  all  fre(|Uent  suhjects  of  un- 
sparing condemnation  from  tin-  })ulj»it. 

The  duty  of  filial  obedience  learned  in  his 
early  home  and  strictly  enforced  in  his  own 
household,  he  maintained  with  unllinching 
fidelity.  The  duty  of  a  child  to  its  i»arents  he 
j»laced  far  ahove  any  claim  which  the  Church  or 
society  might  have  upon  it.  One  •►f  the  most  ser- 
ious charges  which  he  hrought  against  the  |)apal 
church  was  that  it  claimed  the  right,  like  the 
Pharisees  of  old,  to  make  this  commantlment  of 
Goil  of  none  effect  by  its  traditions.  He  regarded 
his  own  njonastic  vow  on  this  account  an  impit)us 
one,  and  sought  to  make  some  slight  anjcnds  for 
his  early  filial  impiety  hy  displaying  the  most 
seru)>ulous  regard  f(»r  his  father's  wishes  through- 
out the  renjaindcr  of  his  life. 

The  custom  of  secret  espousals  recognized 
by  the  jurists  of  the  day  upon  the  basis  of  the  old 
canonical  laws,  aroused  Ids  indignation.  Mere 
children  were  thus  pennitted  to  enter  into  the 
most  solemn  ccjmpacl  of  life  without  the  knowl- 
e<lg(?  of  their  parenU*.  Luther  fiercely  assailed 
the  practic*',  and  from  tin-  pulpit  l)oldly  ctiisurtMl 
the  juri.»ts  and  the  civil  authorities  for  cncourag- 


STANDAHD    OK    MnUAMTY.  189 

in«:  such  violations  of  the  Fourth  C'oniniandnitnt. 
Thr  latter  retorted  ant^rily,  hut  finally  were  eoin- 
pelh'd  to  sueeunih  hefore  the  tremendous  moral 
eneriiy  of  the  faithful  j)astor,  and  the  ahuse  was 
aholishe<l. 

We  have  seen  how  Luther,  hy  teaching:  and 
(xainple,  honored  \hv  institution  of  marriage. 
It  should  not  surprise  us  to  find  his  eonreptioii 
•  •f  this  Paered  relation  somewhat  limited  hy  the 
earlier  distorted  ideas  in  regard  to  the  normal 
relation  of  the  sexes.  The  eonjugal  hond  was 
reirarded  too  exelusively  in  its  lower,  carnal  as- 
]»eets,  or  as  a  matter  of  social  economy,  and  the 
spiritual  relationshi]>  uj>on  which  it  should  he 
hased,  and  which  irives  to  it  its  highest  sanctity, 
had  not  yet  come  to  due  reconriiition.  This  de- 
ficiency, so  natural  in  a  carnal  age  and  among 
men  trained  under  tlie  false  system  of  monastic- 
ism,  hecame  painfully  manifest  in  the  assent  of 
the  Reformers  to  the  bigamous  marriage  of 
Philip  of  Hesse.  The  latter,  having  found  the 
com]>anion  of  Ids  youth  uncongenial,  proposed, 
with  her  cons<'nt,  to  wed  anctther,  and  inquired 
of  Luther  and  his  associates  whether  the  Ciospel 
forhids  polygamy.  They  re])lied  that  sucli  a 
practice  is  contrary  to  the  general  divine  order 
and  sure  to  W(^rk  incalculahle  injury;  hut  they 
cr)uld  lind  no  ex])ress  scriptural  prohihition. 
Tiny  inferred  from  its  i)ermission  in  the  lives  of 
the  early  patriarchs  that  it  might  he  allowahle  in 
exceptional  cases.  I'hilip  naturally  inferred  that 
his  own  ca.'ic  fell  under  the  latter  category,  and 
the  ceremony  was  ]M'rformed  in  the  ])resencc  of 
Melanchthon.  It  must  he  acknowledged  that,  in 
this  single  instance,  the  judgment  of  the  Ke- 
formers  was  inferior  to  that  of  the  ]»rinces  and 
simple   laity  and  to  the  ]>««-iti'>?i  of  the    Roman 


190  LUTHEH,   TlIK    KKKOUMKU. 

Ca^liolic  churcli.  They  f<  11  int<»  the  error  l»y 
failinj;  to  note  tlie  iinj)erf((tion  in  the  moral  en- 
li^'htennient  of  (ijxl's  |)e«)ple  in  tlie  early  ages  and 
through  their  own  iniperfeet  eoneei)tion  of  the 
liigh  moral  unity  involved  in  the  marriage  rela- 
tionship. Th«'  unfortunate  afTair  brought  per- 
plexity and  shame  upon  all  connected  with  it, 
and,  as  Thilij)  was  the  leader  of  the  Smalcald 
League,  it  cast  dis(r«'<lit  upon  the  entire  cause  of 
the  Protestants.  Mclanclithon's  distress  on  ac- 
count of  it  very  nearly  co.st  him  his  life.  Lutlier 
afterwards  saw  his  error,  but  found  consolation  in 
the  fact  that  lie  had  acted  conscientiously. 

In  estimating  the  zeal  of  the  Reformer  for  i)rac- 
tical  morality,  we  must  remember  that  it  was 
not  his  chief  providential  mission  to  rebuke 
the  o])en  vici'S  of  his  day,  but  rather  to  uncover 
the  hidden  wickedness  that  lurked  beneath  the 
boasted  superior  holiness  of  the  }>rofessed  teachers 
of  morality  ami  religion.  It  was  only  when  this, 
his  peculiar  work,  had  been  alm<>st  accomjdisluMl, 
and  his  eniTgies  concentratetl  more  and  more  upon 
his  own  more  immediate  surroundings,  that  he 
came  into  really  close  contact  with  the  vices  of  the 
rude  multitude.  His  cjistigations  of  these  ofTenses 
among  his  own  i)eoj)le  was  then  fully  as  unsparing 
as  had  Ix-en  his  <lenunciation  of  his  bitterest 
enemies.  Nor  was  his  vehemence  in  vain.  The 
authorities  of  the  city  and  Tniversity  adopte<l 
more  stringent  measures  for  thi'  restraint  of  dissi- 
pation. Thus,  thrnugh  all  the  yeai*s  of  conllict 
with  ini«|uity,  whether  found  lurking  in  the  dark 
or  parading  in  the  light  of  day,  this  Man  of  Faitli 
was  continually  l>y  his  intense  moral  earni'stness 
overthrowing  the  works  of  the  devil. 


CHAPTKR  XXIII. 


IIOMK    LIKE. 


No  portraituro  of  Lutlier  can  l»o  com])l(t('  wliich 
docs  not  Itrinir  distinctly  into  view  tlic  husband 
and  father,  tindin<^  daily  rcfrcslnncnt  in  the  circle 
of  loved  ones  in  his  humble  hut  always  hospitable 
home.  The  monastery  in  which  his  active  career 
had  been  be<run  remained  his  j)lace  of  residence, 
and  became  his  i)ersonal  property  by  pft  of  the 
Elector  John  shortly  before  the  hitter's  death. 
Its  construction  accordinj^  to  the  ori<,nnal  plan  had 
never  been  com])leted,  and  extensive  ro])airs  were 
frecjuently  nccessar}'.  Yet  it  was  commodious,  and 
connwtcd  with  it  was  an  excellent  garden.  T«) 
its  bare  walls  we  have  seen  Luther  lead  his  brave- 
hearted  Katie,  but,  by  the  blessing  of  God,  the 
dark  spectre  of  want  was  ere  long  banished.  The 
annual  salary  from  the  electoral  treasury  was  from 
time  to  time  increased,  and  gifts  from  various 
sources  added  to  the  cipiipment  of  the  home. 
Additional  land  was  bought  immediately  adjoin- 
ing and  in  the  neighboring  village  of  Zulsdorf. 
Luther  himself  estimated  the  value  of  his  estate 
shortly  before  his  death  at  al^out  1(),U(KJ  ll«»rins, 
his  income  from  other  sources  being  at  the  time 
40()  florins.  He  might,  as  his  wife  was  accus- 
tomed to  lament,  have  been  (piite  rich  had  he 
been  like  other  men;  but  he  always  refused  to 
accept  any  m<»ney  for  his  books,  although  others 
m.idr  fnitunes  liv  the  sale  of  them.  His  free- 
handed generosity  was  known  far  and  wide,  an<l 
not  seldom  abused.  Judged  bv  ordinary  stand- 
(V.)\) 


l'^2  LITHKH,   THK    KKKOKMEU. 

nrds,  his  donations  t<>  tlio  needy  wen-  far  ])eyoiul 
liis  ability.  To  the  protests  of  his  fnipd  wife  he 
was  areiistonied  to  replv  :  "  W'c  liave  a  rich 
Father." 

To  his  own  household  he  weleomed  an  aunt 
of  his  wife,  Bcveral  children  of  a  deceased  sister 
named  KaiifTman,  at  onetime  four  orphans  whose 
parents  had  died  durinj:  a  siepe  of  j)estilence, 
tutors  of  his  ^n-owin.L'  children,  students  at  the 
Tniversity,  and  tlie  fu^dtive  wife  of  the  Elector  of 
Jkandenl)urfr.  His  friends  often  made  lontr  visits, 
jiassin^  strangers  were  always  cordially  welcome<l, 
escaj)ed  monks  and  nuns  found  a  comfortahle 
refuge  until  homes  or  employment  could  he 
secured  for  them,  and  there  were  frequt^nt  celebra- 
tions of  fannly  birthdays  and  sindlar  occasions  of 
festivity. 

The  lunden  of  all  this  hospitality  fell  U])on  the 
faithful  Katie,  whose  tireless  enerpy  and  wise 
econ<nny  alone  could  save  the  household  from 
bankruj)tcy.  She  found  especial  deli}_dit  in  her 
"kinplom,"  as  Luther  ])layfully  called  it,  at 
Zulsdorf,  witli  its  cattle,  poultry  and  croj)s  ;  while 
Luther  himself  was  content  to  amuse  himself  in 
the  nu)nasterv  jjarden,  <rraftini;  the  trees  and 
watching  the  birds.  They  both  enjoyed  hshing 
in  a  litth'  ])ond  near  the  monastery.  lb*  himself 
bore  loving  testimony  to  lier  lidehty  in  minist»'r- 
ing  to  all  his  wants,  and  his  cordial  lettei-s,  written 
to  her  whenevtT  duty  called  him  from  his  hom<*, 
give  al)undant  <'vidence  at  onc<'  of  Ins  genuine  re- 
spect for  her  charactiT  and  liis  sincere  alTection. 

Six  children  were  borne  to  them,  of  whom 
Elizabeth  died  in  infancy  and  ^bigdalena  at  the  age 
of  thirti-en.  The  father  was  in  each  case  heart- 
broken. Tbe  scene  at  the  dcath-bcd  of  Mag- 
dalcna  wa.s  dee]»ly  touching.      Lending  tindt  riy 


HoMK    I.IFK.  193 

over  luT  couch,  the  man  before  wlioin  princes 
•  jiuiilcd  hinisclf  trembled  like  a  leaf.  ''  Lena, 
dear,"  he  said,  "you  would  like  to  stay  with 
your  father  here,  and  yi-t  you  will  ^dadly  «x<>  to 
your  Father  in  heaven."  "  Yes,  dearest  fatlier," 
she  replied,  "just  as  (iod  wills."  ^Vith  stream- 
ing; tears  he  then  prayed  for  her  release  from  pain 
and  weakness,  and,  as  she  breathed  her  last, 
turned  to  comfort  the  weeping  family.  "  I  liave 
^'iven  heaven  a  saint,"  he  exclaimed.  "  O,  that 
we  mi^zht  die  thus  !  Such  a  death  I  should  wel- 
come this  very  hour."  No  other  event  in  his 
life  so  (lc<'})ly  moved  him.  He  sou^'ht  to  allay 
his  j^rief  by  reliecting  upon  her  happy  state,  but 
there  were  times  when  his  tears  could  be  stayi'd 
only  by  his  swelling  indignation  at  the  ravages  of 
death,  and  of  him  that  hath  the  power  of  death, 
the  devil.  Thus  even  sorrow  could  but  stimulate 
to  more  earnest  warfare  against  the  ])rince  of  evil. 

Tlie  daily  intercourse  of  the  Reformer  with 
his  children  was  unrestrained  and  cordial,  lie 
dilighted  in  watching  their  innocent  ]»ranks, 
rompcfl  with  them,  t(jl(l  them  wondf.'rful  tales 
emi)ellished  by  the  rich  hues  of  his  ever-vivid  im- 
agination, and  in  every  way  sought  to  make  their 
early  years  as  bright  as  his  own  had  been  stern 
and  cheerless.  He  taught  them  faithfully  from 
tile  liibleand  the  catechism,  and  encouraged  them 
in  the  cultivation  of  whatever  musical  talent  they 
j)ossessed,  his  own  lute  and  clear  tenor  voice 
always  leading  in  the  family  chorus. 

The  inlluence  of  the  peaceful  evening  hours 
thus  Kj)ent  in  njaintaining  the  joyous,  hopeful 
spirit  of  the  great  witness  for  the  truth,  who 
found  in  the  world  without  little  but  corruption 
and  strife,  can  scarcely  be  overestimate*!.  Luther 
as  a  lonely  monk  would  have  been  crusiied  with 
18 


VJi  LITHKH,   THK    HKFOIJMKK. 

discourajjomcnt  beneath  the  burdens  wliich  Luther 
as  thr  hajipy  head  of  a  Christian  home  carri«Kl  so 
liplitly.  Here  he  was  kept  in  touch  with  what  is 
])uri'st  and  best  in  liuman  life.  Here  his  hinder 
heart  found  sympathy  and  poured  out  in  return 
more  than  it  received.  Here,  as  in  a  Httle  world, 
he  studied  human  nature  and  learned  to  speak 
words  of  comfort  and  clieer  that  echoed  in  many 
other  homes  when  clouds  of  sorrow  lowered. 

Here,  too,  was  manifested  most  clearly  the  sin- 
cere, child-like  piety  of  the  man.  Merrily  and 
unreproved  miglit  pass  the  jest  and  sonp  from  lij) 
to  lij),  but  the  Unseen  Presence  was  never  for- 
gotten in  that  home.  The  most  trifling,'  incidents 
were  made  to  teach  lessons  of  reverence  and  trust. 
The  Scriptures  were  quoted  naturally  and  aptly  as 
illustratinjx  all  manner  of  j)assin^  thenn^.  Kvery 
eveninj^  closed  with  j)rayer,  and  at  nine  o'clock, 
however  popes  and  emperors  mi.^ht  ra<:e  without, 
the  sentiment  of  David  found  literal  fultilment  in 
the  experience  of  this  royal  servant  of  Daviil's 
Lord:  "I  will  both  lay  me  down  in  peace  an<l 
sleep;  for  thou,  Lord,  onlv  makest  me  dwell  in 
safety.*' 

The  results  of  this  home  training,  as  seen  in 
the  lives  of  Luther's  <  hildrrn,  wen-  not  disappoint- 
ing. None  of  them  wius  endowe<l  with  extraor- 
dinary talent.  John  became  a  lawyer,  meeting' 
with  a  fair  measure  of  success  in  his  callinir. 
Martin  studied  for  the  ministry,  but  never  assumed 
its  active  responsibilities,  dying  at  the  age  of 
tliirty-three  years.  Paul  ln'i-ame  a  physician  of 
considerai)le  not<',  filling  j)ositions  of  trust  at  sev- 
cnd  courts.  Margaret  was  married  to  a  Prussian 
no!)leman,  Von  Kuidieim.  They  all  !)ore  excel- 
lent reputations,  and  lived  as  worthy  members  of 
tb"  <1iurch,  enjoyini'  ;ind   i»<'t    il.n-iiP'  \]m>  lilurty 


IIOMK    I. IKK.  195 

of  conscience  won  for  thoni,  as  for  many  millions, 
hy  the  dauntless  eoura«;e  of  their  revered  father. 

Nor  should  we  fail  to  thank  (Jod  ft)r  the  exam- 
ple of  that  Christian  home.  It  was  a  city  set 
ui>«.n  a  hill,  whose  li;;lit  slione  far  and  wide,  dis- 
I.ellin(]j  clouds  of  error  which  had  darkened  thX3 
nations  for  centuries.  It  did  more  i)erhai)s  than 
even  Luther's  ponderous  words  to  crush  out  the 
"doctrine  of  devils"  which  dared  to  cast  dis- 
honor ui)on  tliat  state  which  (lod  had  distinctly 
pronounced  holy.  It  encouraged  thousands  of 
j)riests  to  estahlish  family  altars,  and  emancipated 
multitudes  from  the  stilling'  moral  atmos])here  of 
convents.  It  pive  hack  in  the  Church,  instead  of 
the  prying  j)riest,  the  sympathizing  friend  and 
pastor.  L<3fty  indeed  was  the  vocation  of  the 
man,  who  not  only  j)ointed  the  way  to  a  heavenly 
home,  hut  whose  intluence  was  destined  to  dot  the 
sinful  earth  with  domestic  temples  resounding 
through  the  ages  with  carols  of  peace  and  anthems 
of  praise. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 


SICKNESS   AND   DEATH. 


'I'liE  lIcTriilcan  tasks  aoconiplisliod  by  T.utlicr 
un<l(T  nianifoM  distractions  aiul  uikKt  burdens  of 
rcHponsihility  such  as  had  rested  upon  no  other 
champion  of  the  truth  since  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  imply  the  ])ossession  of  a  bodily  constitu- 
tion naturally  vigorous.  He  could  scarcely, 
however,  have  Ixen  pronounced  at  any  stajze  of 
his  career  a  healthy  man.  The  excessive  rigor  of 
his  monastic  days  had  told  upon  him.  His 
pale  face  and  ha*z<:ard  frame  were  a  subject 
of  comment  when  he  stood  before  the  Diet  at 
Worms.  The  seasons  of  deep  spiritual  struggle 
through  which  he  jKissed  at  intervals  had  j>n)bably 
some  c(mnection  with  incipient  physical  disorder. 
We  recall  the  helpless  condition  which  so  often 
interrupted  his  labors  at  Coburg  in  lo.'U).  From 
that  date  onward  his  bodily  ailments  increased, 
and  he  was  coinjK'llcd  t<»  (•••ndition  all  liis  engage- 
ments for  travel  or  literary  labors  uj»on  the  state 
of  his  health.  Again  and  again,  at  important 
junctures — while  in  the  pulpit,  upon  his  journeys, 
or  engaged  in  negotiations  witli  representatives 
from  distiuit  churclies — he  wjis  suddenly  overcome 
with  intense  pain  «»r  dizziness.  Several  times  he 
appeared  to  be  at  the  ]>oint  of  death,  and  bade 
solemn  farewi  11  to  bis  family  an<l  assix  iates.  I>ur- 
ing  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  theshadi»ws 
of  the  apjiroaching  en«l  were  seldom  lifted.  To 
liis  friends  he  habitually  s|>oke  of  hiniself  as  an 
oM  an<l  worn-out  man,  and  often  sighctl  for  de- 
livrniiiri    fn.iii  an  <vil  world. 

(190) 


SICKNESS    AM)    DKATII.  1!>7 

Yet  of  tliis  no  trace  is  to  he  found  in  the  cliar- 
acttT  of  liis  polemical  or  devotional  writings. 
AVhcn  he  «rras])rd  his  ])vn  for  ])ractical  work,  he 
was  ever  the  same  Luther  still.  His  hand  wa.s 
steady,  and  liis  t^itat  soul  poured  itself  out  in 
clear  analysis,  in  terrihle  invective,  or  in  the  joy- 
ous utterances  of  a  triumphant  faith.  His  hody 
was  but  a  feeble  instrument,  (juite  for<^otten  when 
the  glowin<^  sj)irit  rose  to  deal  with  the  great 
themes  of  salvation  and  eternal  life.  His  latest 
writings  are  in  eviTV  respect  as  vigorous  as  any 
which  })rcceded  them. 

The  clear  conviction  that  the  hour  of  his  de- 
j)arture  was  rapidly  a|))>roaching  had,  however,  a 
marked  influence  upon  his  disposition  toward 
those  whose  views  differed  in  some  respects 
irom  his  own,  but  who  yet  accepted  the  funda- 
mental doctrines  of  liuman  helplessness  and  divine 
grace.  With  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  he  had 
no  longer  the  faintest  desire  of  reconeilation.  He 
recognized  more  clearly  than  any  other  in  that  age 
tlie  imj)assable  chasm  that  separated  him  from 
the  ])apal  fold.  It  was  not  only  the  glaring 
abuses  of  that  Church  against  which  he  i)rotested, 
but  the  entire  conception  upon  which  it  was  based 
he  regarded  as  the  j)roduct  of  impious  deception 
and  human  pride.  In  his  dying  hours  he  beggeil 
his  friends  to  pray  the  Lord  to  i)rotect  His  Church 
against  the  mad  assaults  of  the  Poj)e  and  his 
<ounselors  then  assembled  in  the  Council  at 
Trent.  JUit,  from  the  time  when  the  truth  had 
been  so  boldly  confessed  at  Augsliurg  and  com- 
j>romisc  with  extreme  error  reje<ted  at  Marburg, 
the  desire  for  harmony  with  all  who  held  the 
essential  truths  of  the  (iospel  grew  constantly 
stronger,  until  it  became  the  passion  of  his  soul. 
He   longed   to  sec   the   emancipated    hosts   of 


198  LUTHER,  TIIK    REFORMER. 

Chrises  truo  followers  hound  in  loving  fellowship 
hefore  his  eyes  should  elose  in  death.  Tiiis  in- 
ward yearning  in  tlie  mighty  soul  in  which  the 
Kefonnation  itself  had  its  hirth  found  concrete 
expression  in  the  "  Wittenherg  Concord,"  which 
remains  for  all  time  a  monumental  witness  to  the 
hroad  spirit  of  hrothcrly  love  which  lay  heneath 
the  often  stern  exterior  of  the  great  Reformer. 

Ill  the  closing  years  of  his  life,  however,  the 
old  spirit  of  distrust  was  re-awakened.  Inci- 
dental references  in  his  writings  of  the  years 
looD— 11  to  the  tlieory  of  Zwingli,  whose  views  he 
regarded  as  ahandoned  by  all  hut  a  few  of  the 
latter's  inunediate  followers,  aroused  angry  j)ro- 
tcsts  in  Switzerland.  The  discussion  which  fol- 
lowed developed  the  fact  that  some  German  th»-o- 
logians  still  inclined  more  to  the  views  of  Zwingli 
than  to  his  own.  It  was  whispered  that  some  of 
his  intimate  a.'^sociatc^,  notably  Melanchthon, 
were  no  longer  sound  u]>on  the  doctrine  of  the 
Ixjrd's  Suj)per.  When  the  custom  (»f  elevating 
the  host  was  (juietly  discontinued  in  the  ^^'itten- 
burg  church,  the  re]>ort  was  circulated  that  even 
Luther  himself  had  abandoned  the  d(K'trine  of 
the  bodily  presence  of  (^irist  in  the  sacrament. 
This  was  too  much  for  the  brave,  bold  man. 
His  charity  was  being  misinterpri'ted.  The  ]>eac»' 
which  he  had  ailvocated  seemed,  after  all,  to 
be  basecl  ujton  hy])ocrisy.  His  own  testimony 
wa.s  being  beclouded.  He  shuddi-red  to  think 
that  death  might  overtake  him  while  apparently 
blindly  loitering  in  the  camp  of  the  enemy.  It 
must  not  l>e.  With  terrific  energy  lie  hurled 
new  thunderbolts  to  right  and  left,  regardless  of 
resulting  ali.  nations.  He  rejected  all  overtures  of 
j)eace,  and  njoiced  tlie  more,  the  more  l»itterly  he 
was  denounccHl  by  the  '*Sacramentariaii.s."     He 


SICKNESS    AND    DEATH.  199 

wanted  all  the  world  t<»  know  that  tlicst*  rationalistic 
interpretiTs  were  his  foes,  and  to  this  end  s«tu.L'ht  to 
arouse  tlicir  animosity  to  the  hii^hcst  ])it(h  l)y 
statinir  his  own  ])ositions  in  the  hoMcst  and  most 
offensive  terms  |)ossihU'.  The  lon<z;in<;  to  dej)art  in 
peace  was  now  supplanted  hy  the  passionate  de- 
termination to  die  in  armor,  wavinj^  his  gleani- 
inf;  sword  in  defence  of  tlie  whole  truth  as  God 
had  <riven  him  to  see  it.  IIow  lar<r<'ly  this  change 
of  attitude  was  justified  by  the  real  situation  is  a 
])oint  upon  which  historians  have  differed;  hut  it 
would  certainly  he  an  occasion  for  lament  if  the 
tone  of  these  lati'  passionate  utterances  were  to  be 
adopted  as  the  normal  tone  of  theological  discus- 
sion in  times  of  peace.  It  is  suflicient  for  us  to 
see  in  them  the  Reformer's  dying  plea  for  sincer- 
ity and  openness  in  the  expression  of  religious 
convictions. 

The  closing  scene  of  this  dramatic  life  is  hap- 
pily one  of  reconciliation.  Serious  alienations  had 
for  some  time  ])revailed  in  the  mutual  relations  of 
the  Counts  of  Mansfcld,  Luther's  early  home-land. 
It  was  finally  agreed  to  submit  the  matters  in  dis- 
pute to  his  decision.  Despite  his  weakness,  the 
extreme  cold,  and  the  j)rotests  of  his  friends,  he 
gladly  undertook  the  mission,  leaving  his  home 
with  his  three  sons  and  other  mend)ers  of  his 
household  January  23d,  ir)40.  Floods  in  the 
Saab' — a  great  Anabajjtist,  Luther  called  it — de- 
layed them  for  som(?  days  in  Halle,  where  be 
preached  a  vigorous  sermon  against  pajml 
abuses.  A  violent  attack  of  sickness  upon  the 
journey  be  attributed  to  tlu;  devil,  wlio,  he  de- 
clare<l,  always  assailed  him  when  he  had  any 
great  work  on  band.  At  Eisleben,  where  tin* 
negf>tiations  were  con<lucted,  be  preached  four 
sermons,  the  hist  on  February  15tb,  an<l  also  or- 


200  LrTIIEH,   TIIK    KKFORMEU. 

(lained  two  yoiin;:  men  to  tin'  (iospel  ministry. 
Twice  he  i)artook  of  tlic  Lord's  Sujiper.  He 
maintained  an  almost  continuous  eorrespondenee 
in  liis  most  genial  style  with  his  wife  and  his 
bosom-friend  Mehinclithon,  and  enhvened  the  ser- 
ious hibors  of  his  errand  by  frecjuent  salUes  of  his 
unfaihn<x  humor.  lie  found  an  intensely  embit- 
tered feeling  between  the  j)arties  at  strife,  which 
had  been  greatly  aggravated  by  the  interventiun 
of  otliers.  Trayerful  earnestness  and  jnitience 
U])on  his  jtart,  and  the  boundless  regani  of  all  fnr 
his  eharaeter  and  Cdunsel,  at  length  elTected  a  com- 
plete reconciliation. 

Luther,  feeling  indisposed,  wa.s  excused  from 
attendance  at  the  linal  meeting  on  the  17th,  in 
which  the  details  of  the  agreement  were  arranged 
in  legal  form,  and  remained  in  his  room  during 
the  morning.  lie  was  present  at  the  evening 
meal,  leading  the  conversation  as  usual,  int<  r- 
mingling  serious  themes  with  sallies  of  j)layful 
humor.  At  eight  o'clock  he  withdrew  to  his 
room,  and  spent  some  time  standing  before  the 
window  engaged  in  audible  prayer.  He  then  re- 
joined thecomj)any,  and  sj)ent  an  hour  with  them 
in  j)leasant  sociability.  During  the  night  his  con- 
dition became  serious,  and  frientis  and  neighbors 
were  called  to  his  side.  His  last  connected 
words  were:  "Father,  into  thy  hands  1  mm- 
mend  my  snirit.  Thou  hast  redeemed  me,  Thou 
faithful  Clod."  As  his  bodily  senses  were  raj)idly 
failing,  one  of  the  company  called  loudly  to  him: 
•'Reverend  Father,  do  you  still  hold  linnly  to 
Christ  and  the  doctrine  which  you  have  preached?'' 
to  which  he  replied  distinctly:  *'Yes," — then 
turned  upon  his  side  ami  pjacefully  expired. 

As  the  tearful  funeral  procession  movecl  out 
of  the  village,  the  rc«  oucilcd  C'ounl."^  of  Mansf«M 


SICKNESS    AND    DEATH.  201 

rodr  ill  ;i<lvaiice,  a  puMic  testimony  tliat  the  last 
triumph  of  tlie  Hero  of  tlu-  Reformation  was  a 
triumph  of  peace.  Dyinj;  in  tlie  i)lace  ui  liis  birth, 
liis  remains  were  fitly  borne  to  the  scene  of  his 
hibors  and  solemnly  interred  within  the  walls  of 
the  Castle-church,  upon  whose  doors  he  had  nailed 
his  great  proclamation  of  the  Church's  emaiKij)a- 
tion.  His  toil  was  ended,  but  his  life's  work  was 
but  be«run.  The  j)rinciples  which  he  jtroclaimed 
have  directed  the  course  of  modern  proirress,  and 
so  long  as  the  world  loves  liberty,  or  the  Church 
rejoices  in  the  doctrine  of  free  j^^ace,  can  neither 
fail  to  cherish  the  memory  of  Luther,  the  Reformer. 


End. 


Date  Due 


9 


BW2220 


